Rollercoaster
by lyphe
Summary: Life goes on regardless of the emotional loops in Kairi's life, and it soon becomes evident to her that this ride isn't over by a long shot. [don't even bother with the first 25 chapters, just skip to 26, there's a recap there xD]
1. Part One: Faded Away

The sea, the sea, the sea...

It sways...

And sings...

And calls to me...

This ocean has no boundaries…Forever coming and going as it pleases. Truly, is such freedom allowed? To do what ever one pleases; never against their own will…Such precious gift is wasted among too many. For those simpletons believe true happiness is to be content with what you have.

No...

**--**

**Rollercoaster**

Chapter 1

Faded Away

Point of View: Kairi

--

True happiness-_my _true happiness resides elsewhere, besides this island. This simple island life now no longer seems to satisfy my needs. I need to leave this place... To finally begin my real life, and put all my past behind me.

_Sora and Riku..._

It's been four years since...the _incident_. Sora and Riku returned two years ago to everyone's satisfaction. Of course I was happy so see them; after all, they _are _my best friends. I had spent, or rather _wasted_ two years of my life mourning over them. _I was so dependant..._

The will to leave this beautiful place of Destiny Islands...it's not of grief, or anger, but truly, just to know that I can be someone. Not only that, but the real reason is to leave for 

The years of my life have passed so swiftly. We've all changed much since four years ago. For instance, Selphie, who has always been so zealous and energetic has outgrown her childish ways and has become very mature and sophisticated. Tidus and Wakka are star blitzball players now.

Sora and Riku have put away their swords. They've apparently 'retired' from their other life. And I'm glad...I need nothing to remind me of the days our islands were destroyed, the day my heart was ripped out of my body, and especially the long days awaiting their safe return. But every now and then, those boys take out their old wooden swords, and go at it. But I'm glad... That's one of the few things that remind me of the good times...

And finally me... Well, I suppose pretty much everything has changed in me. My way of thinking... My hopes and dreams... So much...

I watch as Sora and Riku once again engage in their competitions.

_Sora..._

_My first love..._

Smiling, I brush back a strand of my hair. My long auburn hair...the almost maroon color had darkened over the years, it now grew down to my waist. Turning, I walk away from the sight. My feet gently _clank _against the wooden bridge leading to our own little separate island.

_So many memories reside here..._

Sitting down on the curving paopu tree, I gaze at the everlasting sunset. Its radiant rays never fail to shine through even the darkest skies. A gentle breeze whisks across my face.

Sigh...

"Whatcha doing?"

I nearly leaped out of my skin when I heard Sora's usual cheery voice behind me.

"Sora!"

"Heh...did I scare ya?" he asked rubbing the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish.

I laughed a little nervously.

He slipped onto the tree, next to me.

Silence.

"You nervous 'bout leavin' this place?"

"No."

"You sure, Kai?"

"...maybe a little..."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, not really focusing on anything.

"You still believe in that legend?"

"Hmm?"

"The paopu legend. You know, if two people share it, their destinies will be intertwined."

I laughed,

"Course not, Sora. I've outgrown that. Besides, we all know it's just a fairytale!"

"Well yeah..."

Sora's happy attitude seemed to disappear. Why?

_He's not still in love with me, is he?_

_I admit, there _were_ times in the past when we seemed perfect for each other, but..._

"Something wrong?"

He jumped up, "Naw...gotta meet Riku for something. See ya later, Kairi."

I watched in silence as he walked back across the bridge. Suddenly, I felt guilty, but of what?

_Of course he's not in love with you, Kairi!_

Of course not!

I snapped out of my thoughts and began to walk back.

_The truth is though, my feelings for Sora..._

_Have faded away..._

**--**

**Author's Notes:**

So, what do you think? This is my first fanfiction, so I'm still not really used to the system... Personally, I didn't really like this chapter. I promise the second one will be much better. Please review!

**Acknowledgments:**

Araclyzm for beta reading this.


	2. To Grasp Childhood

_Chapter 2_

**To Grasp Childhood **

_Point of View: Kairi_

The alarm clock rang. I slapped it. Ugh…8:15am… I was feeling strangely frustrated this particular morning. Maybe because of the day before, or most likely, just lack of sleep. Mumbling, I dragged myself out from under the warm covers, and made my way to the bathroom, not quite ready to start this day.

_Was it really worth it to drag yourself out of bed, and to expect nothing for your troubles?_

I splashed the water in my face. I backed away gasping. _It was so cold!_ At least now I was awake… I snatched my toothbrush, and immediately began cleaning my teeth. I glared at my reflection. I just hated that face constantly staring back at me. But, there was nothing I could do about that girl.

_Spit._ I rinsed out my mouth and dried my face with my snowy washcloth. Covering up a yawn, I strolled back into my bedroom. I flung open the wooden closet doors. I selected my garments without much care, a white T-shirt, which I cuffed the sleeves, and black khaki pants.

I seated myself before my vanity mirror, and then felt for the glass handle of my brush.

I didn't fail to notice the unmistakably long length of my hair. Reaching for my scissors, I brought them to my hair…

_Don't cut your hair; it makes you look beautiful…_

Sora's voice ran through my thoughts. A smile formed on my pink tinted lips. Suddenly, I felt unusually radiant. Putting the silver blades back into the drawer, I twisted my hair into a messy bun.

Standing up, I sighed in satisfaction.

_Now I was ready to start my day._

Slipping on my sandals, I swung open the door and left the comforts of my…well…rather messy home.

You see, I live by myself. My parents are long dead, back in the graves of Hollow Bastion. I really have no memories of them, neither does Riku, although he says he does sometimes, but then again, easily says he doesn't.

I remember asking him if he missed them often.

_"You can't miss someone you never knew," was his dull reply._

Sora on the other hand, lives with his mother, Andrea. She is truly quite a beauty, with her sapphire blue eyes and ravishing long blonde hair outlining her slim tan figure. He really doesn't know much about his father, or rather even _cares_ to know.

Stepping outside, my hand quickly shaded my eyes. My toes burned on the hot sand. I glanced at the thermometer pasted on the inside of my house.

_110 degrees._

Yes, this island was intensely burning up, but you must remember, this _was_ a tropical island, which almost always had hot days. Although, in the winter, it can be unbearably cold, and although it does not snow, unless the weather takes a strange twist, the winds are icy cold.

A yawn escaped my lips. I stretched myself, still containing a hint of sleep. A group of younger children were hard at work constructing sandcastles, only to have them washed away by the tides. Then, they'd cry.

I remember I'd start bawling every time my 'masterpiece' was swept away, but as I aged, I learned to build them away from the seawater's path. It's been so long since I've actually sat down and really wanted to play with the angelic white sand.

Shuffling my feet, I chose a spot under a palm tree and began making my castle. Of course the curious children gave me an odd look, and I returned it with a sheepish grin.

I loved the sand. To me, it was the essence of childhood. I'd often sift my fingers through the soft particles. Finishing my 'work of art,' I stepped back to admire it.

"So you play with the lil' kids."

Turning abruptly, I saw Sora and Riku grinning.

"Well, I…uh…"

My cheeks burned up with utter embarrassment.

"It's okay, Kai!" Riku laughed, "Just kidding!"

I laughed a bit nervously.

"You know…I caught Sora doing the same thing yesterday, then crying, 'No, no, no!' when the waves washed it away!"

I giggled as Sora turned beet red.

He gave us a lopsided smile showing all his teeth.

"Heh…so you saw…"

I couldn't help as my small smile grew to a large grin.

"So, Kai, you like paopu trees?" Sora asked, folding his arms.

"Wha…?"

I glanced up to the tree that lent me it's shade, just to realize it wasn't a palm tree, but a paopu tree.

"I-I didn't notice!" I said feeling surprised.

"Come on, you guys! I hear there's a new girl on the island, and according to Tidus, she's hot!" Riku stated, changing the subject.

"Selphie must've had it for him!" I laughed, brushing the sand off my attire as I stood up, "Come on, lets go see her!"

I laughed, making my way to the once vacant house.

_Riku plucked a paopu fruit from the tree and tossed it to Sora._

_"You love her."_

_"Course not…"_

**Author's Notes: **Yeah, yeah, I know, I haven't updated in a week. Truth is, I've been gone all week! I have to give a big thanks to _aliasfan _and _Lvkishugs, _since you two were my only reviewers! I'll update again when I get 5 reviews, and if I don't, well, I'll update anyways!!! Now this is where I say, "HELP!" I need a new girl! It can be anyone, real character, your own OC, or even you! Just give me a description. Her personality has to be the kind that could be a close friend to Kairi, and-whoa! Better not ruin it! Please respond!


	3. New Girl

_Chapter 3_

**New Girl**

_Point of View: Kairi_

I sped across the sandy shore, half stumbling. Laughing, I spun around, expecting to see Sora and Riku enjoying themselves too. But to my surprise, they weren't laughing. Actually, they weren't even there!!!

"Guys? Hey, you guys!"

I looked around wildly for those two carefree boys. Finally, after moments of slight panic, they appeared, walking rather slowly toward me.

"What took you guys so long?!" I demanded.

"Nothing really," Riku replied, "Sora was just crying again over your sandcastle being washed away."

"Hey!" Sora cried, playfully punching my silver knight.

"Come on, seriously!" I struck my hand to my hip.

"It was nothing, but your castle _did_ wash away."

Well, some things never change…

Now certain that my two best friends were with me, I continued on, completely unaware of the heavy conversation that had carried on earlier…

As we made our way to that new girl's house, my mind failed to leave our earlier conversation subject. _What were they talking about?_ I knew by how they handled my question, they had no intention of telling me. Well, it probably _was_ nothing at all…

Soon, we approached the newcomer's home. I lifted my hand, clamped my fingers together, and started to knock…but I found myself stopping in midair. Why was that? Oh yes…I was nervous.

"Hey, what're you waitin' for?" Riku said with a hint of impatience.

"Nothing!"

I knocked…only my hand never reached the door! It rather just opened itself, revealing an energetic looking girl. She had shoulder length hair that she, like me, held in a messy bun. Her hair was chocolate, and she had matching soft brown eyes. She was about the same length as me, and actually slightly resembled me!

I just stared for a few moments, then I noticed she began to look a bit uncomfortable. Regaining my thoughts, I finally spoke.

"Hi! Welcome to the seventh island of the Destiny Islands! I'm Kairi, and this is Sora and Riku!"

She smiled, and actually seemed rather relieved.

"Hi I'm Janice! Nice to meet you guys!"

So Janice and I became much better acquainted. We found out how alike we really were!

"…you know, my hair used to be as long as yours!"

"Really?!"

"Girls…" Riku mumbled to Sora.

I gave him a quick glare, then went back to my newfound friend.

"So, why'd you move to these islands?"

"Well…" she brushed away a strand of her silky hair, "My parents wanted me to live closer to the college I'm attending in the fall. It's not on this island, but this was the closest I could get, and now, I'm really glad, 'cause, it really is beautiful here!"

"Oh! You're attending one of the colleges here? Which one? I'm going to the University of Artemis!"

"I hear that's a pretty good one!" Janice commented, "I'm attending College Laguna!"

"Hey, me too!" Sora suddenly piped up.

"That's so awesome!" Janice said enthusiastically, "How ''bout you, Riku?"

"University of Destiny…" he mumbled.

Well, Riku never had been very fond of newcomers, let alone the fact that I was once a newcomer.

Ah! I suppose you're surprised at the fact that the three of us are splitting up! Well, yes. No, it is no mistake, we all agreed to it. I do realize that it'd be an extremely long time until I see the two of them again, but once again, this is all just another part of making it on my own, and letting go of my whole dependence factor. What? Running away, you say? Well, yes, I admit I perhaps _am_ 'running away.' But really, who hasn't? Who in the whole world has never backed down once from a single challenge, who out of all of you, have never felt the pain of fear? Well, maybe I _am_ handling this situation too rashly but, really…no one, not even the closest of friends intend to stay together _that_ long! Wrong, am I? Well, that is of your opinion, and not mine.

Selphie and Tidus have decided to attend UArt along with me in the fall. Selphie, surprisingly just knew why I'm not going with Sora and Riku, and insisted we'd board together. In fact, I'm rather grateful to have someone I know be there with me. Tidus, of course, turned out to be a very devoted boyfriend to Selphie, and insisted he join us! This'd be Riku and Wakka's second year, so they're used to it. University of Destiny is way off on the last island of Destiny Islands. Riku and Wakka both decided to go there together, last year, so they'd share the experience.

_"How was it?"_

_"Alright…"_

College Laguna is on the closest island to our home. I can remember visiting it years ago with Sora and Riku.

_"That's the one I'll go to when I grow up!"_

And he kept his vow…

I watched the sunset from the little island, completely separate by itself. My legs hung over the edge, toes dipping into the cool water. I glanced at the sky. Then it hit me. _We were really going to leave this island!_ I know I can always come back, I always thought this would be the place I'd get married, here at my home. For some reason, I always had an image of me and Sora happy forever, just the two of us. **Scowl.**

That was all in the past. Now, I just picture myself finding someone at UArt, and maybe just settling there. If that's the case, then I might never come back here again! Okay now, forget all that. I can't ever stay away for so long from this place! This is my home! It almost seems like a crime to leave your lifelong home for so long! But then again, this really isn't the land I was born on… Well, anyways, I may leave this island, but I'll always come back.

Sigh…

"Beautiful…isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

I smiled at Sora, my eyes softening, no longer a serious glare onto the sunset.

It truly was beautiful. The sinking sun shot out its golden arrows, melted against the flushed sky. The platinum sea gently swayed and rolled… The saltwater blades of grass danced as a refreshing breeze passed by.

_The sea, the sea, the sea…_

_It swayed…_

_And singed…_

_And called to me…_

_"Come in," it said, "Come in…"_

I sighed.

_…and I said yes…_

**Author's Notes: **OHMIGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got sooooooo many reviews!!!! You guys are so very nice!!! Love you all!!! Janice…she's based on a friend I made at camp during the week I was gone. Yeah, her name's Janet, but I kept forgetting, and I called her Janice!

And now… (I'm so proud!) two of my friends joined!!! Yeah, you know who you are! Welcome _Aurora Australias_ and _luv1nyOu_!!! Can't wait till I see what you guys write!

And thanks again for everyone that reviewed! dances I asked for 5 reviews and got 10!!! - I'll try to update sooner! Plz R&R!!!


	4. Days of My Life

_Chapter 4_

**Days of My Life**

_Kairi's Point of View_

_Oh, how lovely the night sky was, with its twinkling stars, and full moon. The night was still young, yet still aged. The serene evening had settled in, her milky rays struck any mortal who dared to walk along the cold salty sea, revealing to them the path they desired. The darkness was gentle and the moon welcoming, as if asking to hear your secrets. _

_But I had no secret to tell..._

This particular night, I chose to take a stroll along the cold sea. I'd pause now and then, just listening to the sound of the waves. I felt content then, but then, a wave of sadness would always wash over me again. _This was my last night._

Yes, tomorrow, I'd leave everything behind. Tomorrow, there'd be no more Sora, Kairi, and Riku. No, tomorrow, I was going solo. Was it really so close already? I remember just a few months ago, the three of us were just carefree kids, playing all day. I remember just a few weeks back, Janice moved in and we became the best of friends. Everything is passing so fast. So many things are changing. Am _I_ changing? 

I crossed my arms and shivered. The nights here weren't necessarily _cold_. Just the salty breezes carried from across the ocean. My attire consisted of only a v-neck tank top, and a flowered skirt, which was just a long piece of cloth tied to my waist. I found myself sitting down on the dock. I slipped off my sandals, and now my feet dangled in the water.

_Would this be the last time I felt these waters?_

Oh, of course not, Kairi! You're being silly! UAph is on an island too!

_I meant _these _waters._

...

I looked across the raven sea. I was so alone...­ A single girl in this cruel wicked world...Drowsiness passed before my eyes. I quickly shook it off.

A few hours passed. My constant feeling of loneliness was unshaken. Was it a bad idea to split with Sora and Riku? My whole 'independence' thing? Well, if that's what's tearing me from my best friends, the screw that! Yes, I admit, I'm scared. I do _not_ want to leave my two best friends. Yes, that is all I am. Scared, dependant, lonely, a nobody...

Memories flashed before my eyes...

_'Hiya! Welcome to the __Destiny__Islands__! I'm Sora and this is Riku!'_

_'Hey Kairi! Look what me n' Riku got! Wooden swords!'_

_'You really don't remember anything about them?'_

_'Nothing.'_

_'I'll come back to you, I promise!'_

_'I know you will!'_

...

"I'll come back to you, I promise!"

"I know you will!"

_What made me so sure he'd come back?_

I found myself opening my eyes. Strangely, I wasn't cold, in fact I felt quite warm. I glanced to my right, and saw Sora asleep next to me. My head rested on his shoulder. He had wrapped a blanket around me. Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open. I smiled at him.

"Thanks."

We ended up talking all night. About this, about that, just a little of everything, and the burden in my heart, well, it's still there, but it lessened. What? Am I in love with him? Of course not. Yes, there _was_ a time 4 years ago, but my feelings, no, _both_ our feelings have diminished.

_Kairi! Are you completely oblivious to the fact that he might still be in love with you?_

Sora is _not_ still in love with me. We both set our feelings aside, and decided just to be friends!

_No, **you** set your feelings aside, and **you** decided just to be friends._

Perhaps, but that is not for you to decide.

...

"Hey Kai, you nervous? I mean about this whole leaving home and stuff."

"...­yeah...­ I guess I just thought I couldn't wait to leave this place, but then I realized, this is my home! I won't feel like, incomplete without it, but I guess I'll think about this place from time to time..."

"How 'bout you?" I asked him, "You think you'll miss this place?"

"Well yeah! This is my home, where I grew up, where all my fondest memories formed. I'll miss it, but this is one step forward I'm not gonna back down from."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Sora was going through the same thing as me! Well, almost...­he just wanted to have a good experience of college.

Sigh...

"You think Riku was nervous his first year?"

"Yeah, I mean, he acts all cool about it, but you can kinda tell, he missed us a lot."

I laughed softly.

Wisps of wind passed, whispering their unknown secrets so silently only they could hear it. I shivered.

That night, I fell asleep right there on the beach, my head on Sora's shoulder and a single blanket to keep both of us warm. I think that was the most peaceful sleep I ever slept. Completely dreamless. Or was it? I don't know, for some reason, I seem to have difficulty remembering dreams... Nothing remained of my unlikely dream, all it left was some sort of feeling...­sadness?

The rosy sun rose before my eyes. We watched it together. I wasn't alone...­ No matter how far away from home I was, I always had my friends with me...

"Kairi..."

"Hmmm?"

"I don't know what was bothering you last night, but you know, every time you feel like crying, you can always come to me..."

I was surprised. Where did this come from? Well, obviously, if you're wandering around on an island in the middle of the night all by yourself, _obviously_ something's wrong!

I watched the sun throw its warm rays onto my face. The waves gently washed back and forth from the ocean. And I smiled.

"Thanks...Sora."

**Author's Notes:** I dunno why, but there are stupid symbols on chapter 3!!! But don't worry! surprisingly creepy Research shows that if you go to that chapter, click the arrow to go to the previous chapter, then return to that same chapter you were just on, those annoying signs will mysteriously vanish! Yeah, so if you guys had trouble reading ch. 3, well, try that! By the way...does anyone know how to get rid for good?

Has anyone ever heard 'Yuna's Ballad' from FFX-2? That's totally the music that'd be playing when Kairi's walking alone. The music is so sad!!!

Okay, so, my brother's graduating this year, and our school's holding this thing, about a speech and stuff, and so my mom's like, "Write an example for your brother. Then you can register on fanfiction.net. (yep, that was the day I registered)"

Now...­many weeks later...­he wins!!!(actually, everyone got chosen) He used _my_ speech, and switched around the words a little, and **wins**!!! And now, he'll get all credit!!! But hey, next year when he's gone, I get to say to any Language Art teacher who says my writing sucks, "Hey! You know my brother, who had that awesome speech?! I wrote it!!! Take that, you !!! (j/k! I'm not like _that_!)

I just bought 2 goldfish for my mom for Mother's Day tomorrow! (lost 5 bucks...) They're like 2 inches, and I have this other goldfish I won at the same carnival like 3 years ago that's still alive!!! Does anyone know if it'll eat my new fish? O.o (it's like 2 times bigger than them)

You guys are just so nice!!! I'm gonna try doing reviews, remember, still my first time!

**Reviews:**

aliasfan: Thanks so much for reviewing! I so look forward to your reviews cause you're always so positive about my writing! Yeah...­I have no clue what to do about the symbols...­ Oh, and to get bolds and italics, you gotta save as a html document, or as a web page.

AuroraAustralias: Yeah...I already talked to you 'bout what you said...­when are you gonna start writing? Send me an email when you do! 

Daggerly: I read your story! Ohmigosh, it is so good! You really shouldn't be surprised you're getting all those reviews (unlike me, I celebrate every time I get one! ) Well, I sent you a review, and hopefully you got it! If you didn't, tell me, and I'll send you another.

Juzluvnsora: Thanks so much for the review! It totally made my day! I'll have to read your story when I have time. (yeah...­we all know that'll never happen! Mwahahahahaha)coughanyways...­thanks for the super nice review! Hope you read the next chapter!

Lvkishugs: Yeah...­I know you didn't like last chapter...but hey, that was only a few names, and I use other people's stuff way less then you! (see reviews) And besides...­the whole splitting up thing? It's all part of the plot!!! I can't tell you, 'cause it ruins the whole story for you! Plz review!

Okay! That was a long author's note!(I didn't miss anyone did I?) Well, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and by the way, ideas are always welcome! Okay, plz review! Have a great weekend and Mother's Day, everyone!

Next chapter: Reflections.


	5. Reflections

_Chapter 5_

**Reflections**

_Kairi's Point of View_

--

I couldn't believe it. How could something so horrible happen to me? I glanced franticly at the clock hanging on my bedroom wall. _So much to do so little time!_ Really, what have I done to deserve this sort of cruel punishment? Was it the days I used to joke about Wakka's crazy hair, or telling Tidus he should probably get new clothes? Or maybe it was saying Selphie was way too hyper, which, by the way, I kind of miss now...

But really! What could I have done to deserve this?!

To forget to PACK on the day we're supposed to leave!!!

"Ohmigosh..."

I mumbled and cursed as I ran about my room throwing any random particle of clothing into my suitcases. 5:42am... Luckily for me, the boat came at 7 sharp. Imagine what would have happened if I wasn't out all night and Sora didn't wake me to watch the sunset.

--

_"Can't believe we're leaving today..."_

_"I know..."_

_Sora suddenly smacked himself on the head._

_"Something wrong?"_

_"I was going to pack yesterday, but I got sidetracked..."_

_"What?! You haven't packed yet?! Wait...I haven't packed either!!!!!!!!!!_

--

And that's how I came to realize I was in some serious trouble.

Of course, packing doesn't take too long...for the average human. And as you can so easily guess, I'm not exactly the average human. It takes me quite a while just to figure out where to start, and I'm sure you can imagine a hysterical looking image of me just turning round and round, my hands entangled in my messy hair, just staring at my horribly chaotic room, oh, and have I mentioned I was in a total frenzy?

So it took me perhaps 10 or 20 minutes to actually _begin_ packing. ("Why didn't I do this before?!?!") Then, when I decided to start with my clothes, I had another situation: _should I just put everything together, or put them separately, and take two suitcases?_ First, I decided to just cram everything together, so I had less luggage to carry. Then, after another ten minutes or so had passed, I realized that was a bad idea, for there was little room to pack everything. So...I unpacked _everything_ and pulled out _another _which now contains most of my needed belongings, for there are still some items I need to include.

I snatched a series of shirts from my closet. Colors of pink, blue, and purple were stuffed carelessly into my luggage. I rushed back to my closet and snatched the rest of my jeans and shorts. I pressed them into any speck of space I could find. As you can guess...my suitcase...was stuffed. There was absolutely no space left for anything! With much difficulty, I managed to zip up the suitcase. Then, I stared at my bed with a look of exasperation.

Sighing in frustration, I instantly fell to my knees and then laid flat on my stomach, and peeked under my bed. I squinted. So dark! Holding my breath, I inserted my body under it. My hands groped for any indication of cloth. Finally I felt something, and instantly snatched it and withdrew from the dusty depths of my bed. I coughed. Ugh...I really needed to clean it someday...

I fumbled around with the navy Hawaiian flower print backpack I now held in my hands. I found that the zipper still worked, and without a second thought, began stuffing any extra particle of clothing into it. Then, I remembered my bathroom needs. Seizing a plastic bag, I marched into the bathroom and began throwing bottles of shampoo and soap into the bag. I stuffed my toothbrush and hairbrush along with them.

6:21

I still needed to pack a few more accessories and then eat breakfast, but I could always skip that...

--

I zipped up the suitcase. _Finish...at last... _Well, that sure took me a long time! Let's see...I started at 5:30, and now, it was 6:43. Yes, I absolutely hate packing, exactly the reason why I never left this island before. _I wonder if Sora's done yet..._

Well, first things first. I walked over to the fishbowl that perched on my desk. Grasping this delicate item, I slowly walked outside. I was about to do the most heartbreaking thing I ever thought I'd do...

--

I walked over to the waterfall. Tilting the bowl, I let the liquid slip out of grasp. I watched as my oldest friend escaped into its new home. I perched on a stone as the flash of gold disappeared. _I had just granted that goldfish its long deserved freedom..._

I rubbed my eyes. I shouldn't be crying over a simple fish! After all, there will be plenty of fish on Valencia. But still...

_--_

_"Hey, uh...girl! Stop crying! So you don't know where your parents are. Big deal! Mine are gone all the time! Here, take this...thing. My friend and I caught it just now."_

_--_

I grinned. Of course that was Riku. Yeah...he didn't like me 'cause I was new... Yeah, Riku didn't really know what he was talking about; after all, he was only eight! But, that fish _did_ manage to cheer me up. I laughed as I thought of how Riku held it. He pinched it by the tail, holding it out, as if he thought it was disgusting.

I jumped up and headed for Sora's house. I still had a good fifteen minutes left.

--

"Ohmigosh! You're still not done?!"

"Almost! I'm _almost_ done!"

So I ended up helping Sora finish packing. It actually turned out to be lots of fun! But I wonder what that was...

--

_"Hey...this is your scrapbook?"_

_"Yeah. Had it for a while."_

_I held the precious book carefully as I looked through the pages. Then, as I when I began to turn the second to last page, he slammed the book shut._

_"Yup! That's all there is!" He then took the book and placed it into his bag._

_"But I saw something there!"_

_"Oh, it was nothing..."_

_--_

I was lost in thought as I stuffed my eggs into my mouth. Sora had invited me to join him for breakfast. Maybe it was a picture of his secret crush! I became excited as I thought of all the possibilities. Was it Selphie? Of course not, she has Tidus. Or maybe that girl, Naomi, that he met earlier this summer on that other island! Or maybe Janice! Yeah...as you can see, I _was_ getting a little _too_ excited... Maybe this is how Selphie felt four years ago...

But I _know_ there was a picture, and I _know_ it was a girl. I saw her hair! ...well...part of it... The only boy I know with long hair is Riku. I wonder what he'd look like if he cut it... Hope he doesn't! He looks cool just the way he is...and besides...I wouldn't recognize him! Well! I'm getting a little off topic! Anyways...

"Hey, Sora?"

"Hmmm?"

I laughed. Sora looked so funny as he tried to swallow down the large amount of food he unintentionally stuffed into his mouth.

"Yeah?" he said between chews.

"Who was that? In the photo on the second to last page. Don't try to deny it, 'cause I know I saw someone!"

He finished swallowing.

"Old friend..."

"Old _girlfriend_?"

He blushed as I said this. I giggled.

"No!"

--

7:00 sharp.

The three of us-wait, actually, the _seven_ of us waited on the dock for the boat to arrive. This was it. This was where my real life, well, my _own_ life was about to begin! In a matter of minutes, I would no longer be little Kairi who just happened to wash up on the shores of this island. No. I would be my own woman! Gee...actually saying that, or rather, _thinking_ that is kind of scary... I looked to Selphie. She looked so confident. What had the years done to that spunky little girl?

Then, I looked to Tidus and Wakka. Tidus had grown tall, almost as tall as Wakka! Wakka's bright red hair had darkened slightly to an almost auburn, but his Jamaican accent was still crystal clear. They, as I've mentioned before, are still in the whole Blitzball game. It really is quite violent sometimes. I remember the first time Wakka tried to teach Tidus how to play, he was knocked out for quite a while... Well, just as Riku watched over us when we were little, Wakka was like a big brother to Selphie and Tidus.

We've all known each other for so long! I can't believe now we're going to go our separate ways...

But this was what I had been waiting for. I'll show them. I'm not some dependant little girl crying for help, you'll see.

I took a moment to observe Janice. She looked so tranquil. Steadily breathing and always calm...until she spoke, you'd really think she's an angel stuck on earth. Yeah...when she opened her big mouth and she was the same cool girl I became best friends with-oh! That is, except for Selphie... Yeah...Janice, she's funky.

_"Yo girl! Whatsup?!"_

_"Hey, Kai! Ohmigosh, I have something I totally have to tell you!"_

_"...okay...what was I just saying?"_

--

I grabbed my luggage and followed the others up onto the boat. It was enormous, way larger than I imagined it'd be. The boat, or _ship_, as I should probably call it, painted a clean white, was crammed with people, but not so much that there was no room to walk on the wooden planks. But, I must remember, we weren't the first stop. There were three loads of people from other islands that boarded before we did.

I sighed as I let the heavy bags slip from my grasp onto the cool floor. I dropped them off in the holding area, then escaped to the deck. Sun kissed was my face as I felt the familiar rays of sunlight splash onto my face as I once again was one with the nature. I gazed at the beautiful island I would soon be leaving behind, then my gaze averted below, at all the natives that had come to send us. Sora's mother was among them. My heart filled with sympathy for her.

_How heartbreaking it must be, to let your only child go with no one really, to share your pain._

--

The ship finally moved. I listened as the cries of family members were heard. "Goodbye"-s and "I'll miss you!"-s rang in the air, and none of them were for me. My arms propped up my head as I leaned over the side. Sigh. I felt Selphie's hand on my shoulder.

"I know how you feel..."

I glanced at her, surprised. What was she talking about? Her parents were still alive! But, wait...neither of them even bothered to send her off... I quickly embraced her. She stiffened and walked away without another word. Selphie...has truly changed...

My mood improved when I noticed Sora and Riku on either side of me. Of course Riku'd feel the same as me. He didn't have parents either, but then again, he never really cared, or actually, he just never was brave enough to show his true emotions.

Suddenly out of the blue, Riku stood and walked away, summoning Sora to go with him. He obeyed. Sora gave me a look that read 'it's nothing.'

I shrugged as the two boys walked away. How blue the sky looked...

--

_"You have to tell her now or you may not have a chance until your words will mean nothing to her."_

_"I know..."_

_--_

**Author's Notes:** Wow! You guys are so nice!!! I got another five reviews for this chapter! Just wondering...are there sluts and bitches at your school too? Hey, Amanda! Remember that email I sent you?

**_Words of Wisdom:_**

_**There are sluts and bitches in this cruel unfair world. The question is: are you going to kick their asses? Now go fight them!-or not, the choice is yours.bow**_

Lol...I'm planning to team up with a good friend of mine, Lvkishugs, to write a story! Our penname's gonna be Luv and Lyphe, so check it out everyone! ...but not now. We haven't written anything yet!!!

What has happened to the world? When I was just an anonymous reviewer, there were plenty of us non-writers! Now! There are so few!!! And! By a miracle, I actually got one!!!

**Reviewer Replys:**

**Juzlovnsora:** Naw...I didn't mean super nice, I meant super evil!!! Hey...is your name really Kairi? Ohmigosh, what am I thinking?! All your craziness has gone to me!!! So! You're a Sora/Kairi fan, eh? Well so am I!!! –grins- Fast? I don't think I can do that! Oh well, plz R&R!!!

**Luv1nyOu:** Yeah...it was really cool talking to you again the other day! Totally miss you guys. Hey...maybe I'll put Sean and Wendy in this story too! Eh? What do you think? Plz review!

**khfan:** So glad you like my story! Oh yeah, I rule! Yeah...the ending is so sad!!! I can't wait for the sequel! Did you see the secret trailer? Well, plz review!

**aliasfan: **I am so glad you always manage to review! You're probably my favorite reviewer(just cause you were my first!) I know exactly what you're talking about. I have soooo many favorite stories that haven't been update in like, months!!! Don't worry; I'll never be one of them!!! Plz review!

**Astaldotholwen:** Ohmigosh, I am sooo glad you reviewed!!! You have no clue how long I've been waiting for you to keep writing!!! You'd better continue "In the Darkness We Meet" soon! (people, it's a masterpiece in the making!) Yeah... I'm so glad you like! I totally look up to your writing, along with many others...

Well, plz review!

'kay...later peoples!

-Lyphe


	6. Rather be in Love

_Chapter 6_

**Rather be in Love**

_Point of View: Sora_

__

_"You have to tell her now or you may not have a chance until your words will mean nothing to her."_

_I stared at Riku. I knew his words were true._

_"I know…" I stammered, "But…"_

_"No. No more excuses. If you want her love, you have to tell her here and now."_

_"…"_

__

Stepping back into the sunlight, I glanced at Kairi, standing opposite to me, from the corner of my eye. Kairi…she's…special. Yeah, I know we let go of our feelings two years ago, but now, I admit, I haven't.

The radiant golden sun kissed her tan skin, shining off her deep, beautiful ocean eyes. Her long auburn hair shone, and her face set to a tranquil stare out into the sea. I didn't notice how long I had been observing, or _staring_ at her until I realized how oddly she was looking at me with a slight grin on her face.

"Something wrong, Sora?"

Her angelic voice was like gentle music fluently slipping off the keyboard.

"Oh! Err…nothing!"

"You sure? You had a kind of weird look on your face…"

"No! It was nothing! Just thinking to myself!"

Smiling a little nervously, I adjusted my gaze to the sea. God, I was gonna miss everything. Yeah, I know I act all confident and so sure of myself in front of Kairi, but seriously! What would she think of a guy who was completely scared of a little change? I bet Riku'd never feel like this…

Riku.

I glanced uncertainly at the tall figure. I could still remember those days years ago when we'd compete in everything, speed, fighting, any type of skills, and all for her, Kairi. Everything was for her. Every smile, every try, just forever competing for her heart, and I'd always live in Riku's shadow. I knew he was in love with her too. But for some strange reason, she chose me. Yes, me.

She and I. Me and Kairi. We were meant to be. But over those two life threatening years trapped in Kingdom Hearts, trying, struggling to find a way to bring Riku and King Mickey back from the dark, her feelings for me had faded. At first, I suspected nothing. We all acted the same, the three of us were still best friends, but before too long, I began to realize that something was missing. The something that was between Kairi and me. The something that bonded our hearts and our love.

It was gone. The special spark that connected us was gone, dissolved with time. I couldn't believe it that day I realized. _Kairi felt nothing for me._ How could that be? I know two years is a long time to wait, to ask for, but couldn't her heart hold on just a little longer? I knew there and then, I had to find someway to make her faded feelings burn bright again, but that turned out to be harder than I bargained for…

For someone who's always been very observant and has noticed practically everything, she's been rather oblivious to the obvious signs I've been throwing at her. I've been trying, straining, for almost a year now to let her know my true feelings, so hers may have a chance to rekindle. But, as it turns out, either she's changed incredibly, or she just doesn't want to see…

Stretching, I ran my long, slender fingers through my spiky chestnut hair. I quickly glanced at Kairi. She was still looking outward into the ocean. _What was she so concentrated on that would contain her thoughts so long?_ Looking at her expression, lost in thought, she looked like a child again. The sweet, innocent child I fell in love with…

_"Give me a break, Kairi."_

_"Sora, you lazy bum. I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here."_

_"Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up."__"I've told you before, I don't remember."__"Nothing at all?"__"Nothing."_ _"Sora, let's take the raft and go-just the two of us!"__"Huh?"__"Just kidding!"__"What's gotten into you? You're the one that's changed, Kairi."__"Maybe... You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?"__"Yeah, of course!"__"That's good. Sora, don't ever change."__"Huh?"__"I just can't wait. Once we set sail, it'll be great."___

Regaining control of my thoughts, my curious eyes wandered once more to Riku. This time, he was looking at me too. He nodded towards her, signaling for me to tell me my message. But I couldn't. My voice halted within my lungs. I looked back at Riku, and gave him a 'yeahlikeyoucoulddothat' glare. He rolled his eyes, and averted his gaze back to the ocean.

I sighed. _"Just do it."_ Hmph. Easy for him to say. It's not like he ever had to confess to some girl that he has strong feelings for that he apparently 'loves' her. I looked back at Kairi. And besides..._what if she doesn't say it back?_

My courage failed, and I spent pretty much the rest of the boat ride talking to the others, actually trying to _avoid_ Kairi. I don't know...it's just become harder to talk to her lately, unless she's alone and depressed. Okay, secret's out. I didn't just happen to see her on the dock by chance. Well, kind of...

_I lay on my bed doing nothing in particular, just staring into the ceiling. I sighed. How could Kairi not realize I'm still in love with her? I mean, I've been throwing at her the most obvious signs, which even her new friend, Janice are starting to question me! Now, my slight sense of despair turned into a sense of annoyance. _

_Why was everything going so wrong for _me_? I mean, I haven't done anything wrong, hell, I even saved the whole world out there!_

_"Sora! You'd better start packing soon! I told you to do that last week, so you'd get it out of the way!"_

_My eyes, which had become slits, squinted even smaller. Ugh...I just didn't feel like doing anything right now..._

_"I will!"_

_"Soon," I mumbled quietly to myself, hardly above a whisper._

_12:57 am___

_I yawned. Okay, so I didn't start packing exactly so soon, but I will...soon... Okay, this isn't working out. I'm leaving tomorrow, and I haven't even started packing! Better start...if I can get up..._

_I've been in the same position for hours, and now, my legs are feeling a little numb... Reacting a little too suddenly, I rolled off the side of my bed, and fell splat on the floor. I growled as I pulled myself to my feet. Stretching, I felt another yawn escape. Glancing out my window, I thought I saw a figure walking outside..._

_A few minutes later, I glanced outside again. This time, I saw the silhouette sitting down. This couldn't be some trick. I gazed on, completely mesmerized. The wind blew through her hair, lifting it gently, and then setting it down again. Her ghostly skin seemed to glow palely in the moonlight. The gentle beams of light revealed the auburn color of her long hair..._

_Wait...that's Kairi! Why would she be wandering outside at this hour? Hauling the window open, I slipped outside to meet her. I could see her face tilted towards me as I approached her. Her eyelids were shut, and I realized she was asleep. I brushed my hand against her flesh, only to realize how icy cold it was. Running back to my house, I snatched a blanket from the still open window._

_I knew I couldn't carry her back. I didn't want to arouse her from her peaceful sleep, and besides, I know she always locks the door to her house after she exits, and I wasn't about to search her for the key._

_Returning to her, I gently placed the blanket over her. Sitting down next to her, I lifted the other end of the blanket over me. I was surprised by her reaction, for her shivering body crept closer to this new source of heat. I could hear her mumbling some words, which, judging her soft tone, were describing...sadness?_

_"...don't...why...please...love...you..."_

_Interested in these set of words, I asked her,_

_"Kairi, do you love me?"_

_I waited a few moments, but she didn't answer. I sighed in defeat. Then, I heard her mumbling again._

_"Sora...I..."_

_And that's all I heard before she fell silent again._

__

Reflecting on the events last night, well, I guess it makes me depressed. I was so close to knowing her feelings, even if it _was_ just sleep talking. I greeted Wakka as he took a seat next to me.

"Hey, mon." he said cheerfully, his Jamaican accent crystal clear, "You excited?"

"Yeah, but kind of nervous too."

"Yea, I know what you mean. I felt that way too my first year."

Feeling I could trust him, I decided to ask him, out of the blue,

"Hey, Wakka? You ever worry about falling in love? You know, not having anyone there?"

He thought for a moment before answering.

"Well...I guess that would be a problem for someone like you! Still young..."

"Hey! You're only older by a year!"

He chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. When the right girl comes, you'll know!"

His words swarmed in my head for a while, and many weeks to come. We sat in silence for a few moments.

"So," he started again, "Who's your girl? Kairi, eh?"

My blushing face answered him. He gave another chuckle.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure she likes you too!"

"You think...?"

"Yeah! You know what, brudda, you worry too much. Later."

He walked away, thinking about our conversation. I swear I heard him praise himself.

Okay. So lets back up for a second and take a second to realize where everyone is. Kairi's on the deck, and last I heard, Selphie and Tidus were on the observation deck, Wakka was heading for the cabins, Riku's in that café, and I think that Janice-girl's, well, she's probably with Kairi, and yours truly, I'm just outside the bridge, which overlooks most of the ship.

9:00 sharp

I released a yawn as I stretched out my arms. This boat ride was almost over. Just half an hour left.

"Hey Sora."

"Hey, Selph, what's up?"

I smiled warmly at her. Unlike four years ago, her attire didn't consist of the bright yellow color, strangely enough, she was wearing...black.

"You really like Kairi, don't you."

"Wha-how'd you know?"

She laughed sweetly, but something about it was missing...yeah, it was her old liveliness.

"Kind of obvious, don't you think? You're constantly gazing at her."

I gave her a big lopsided grin.

"Yeah...I guess."

"She doesn't really get it, does she?"

"Nothing escapes you!"

"Well, you'd better tell her soon, you won't be seeing her for a while."

With that, she left me feeling partly confused and in thought.

Then, I focused my attention more on Selphie's personality. _Why hadn't I noticed how much she's changed before?_ Then I thought, _why did she change in the first place?_ Well, I suppose a person's allowed to change, Kairi certainly has. Going back to Selphie, a sudden flashback ran through my mind, when I just didn't mean to be eavesdropping...

_"...you know what I hate the most about you? The fact you're so happy-go-lucky and have never ending energy. It makes me sick..."_

__

I watched as Kairi started grabbing her luggage. I knew our time together was almost over...

"Here, let me help you."

"Thanks, Sora."

She flashed me one of her truly gorgeous smiles that made my heart melt.

Riku and Selphie's words rang clear in my ears.

_"You have to tell her now..."_

_"...you won't be seeing her for a while."_

I sighed. Could it really be this hard to confess your love to someone?

_"Stop 3! We are now approaching __Valencia__Island__! Please make sure your boarding luggage is with you at all times! Thank you for choosing your ride with Destiny Waters! And we look forward to seeing you soon!"_

My heartbeat almost stopped when I heard that horrible announcement. No... Was it really so soon? I found myself realizing I'd be missing Kairi probably more than my own mother! I watched as she hugged Wakka. I could see Riku whispering some words into her ear as his turn came. It was heartbreaking to see her and Janice embrace, for you just know how much they'll miss each other by the tears in the corners of their eyes.

Kairi turned to me with a look of sadness in her eyes, a faint smile pasted on her thin face. I returned the regretful look, my heart heavy.

"Well, I guess this is my stop." She started, not really knowing how to say goodbye.

_I cannot help it_

_I couldn't stop it if I tried_

_The same old heartbeat fills the_

_Emptiness I have inside_

_And I heard you can't fight love,_

_So I won't complain_

_'Cause why would I stop the fire that_

_Keeps me going on?_

"Bye, Kai," I said softly smiling sadly, "I'll miss you."

_'Cause when there's you, I feel whole_

_And there's no better feeling in the world_

_But without you I'm alone_

_And I'd rather be in love with you_

"I'll miss you too," she smiled, her eyes filled with sorrow and passion.

_Turn out the lights now_

_To see is to believe_

_I just want you near me_

_I just want you here with me_

_And I'd give up everything only for you _

_It's the least that I could do_

She began to turn away, and then she faced me again. She dropped all of her luggage and threw her arms around me giving me a tight embrace which I held on to with my life.

_'Cause when there's you, I feel whole_

_And there's no better feeling in the world_

_But without you I'm alone_

_And I'd rather be in love with you_

That moment, I felt as if Kairi really loved me too.

_And I feel you holding me_

She released our hold and quickly snatched her items and quickly walked down the platform, not daring to look back.

_Why are we afraid to be in love?_

_To be loved_

_I can't explain it_

_I know it's tough to be loved_

I just couldn't let her go like this.

_And I feel you holding me_

"Kairi!"

She looked back. I knew tears were threatening to spill.

"I-I..."

So many people were watching me. I glanced at Riku, Selphie, and Wakka. They were nodding slightly, while others waited eagerly to hear my message that was only for Kairi alone.

_Oh, oh_

_And when there's you, I feel whole_

_And there's no better feeling in the world_

_But without you I'm alone_

"I-I..."

Kairi faced me completely waiting for me to say it.

_And I'd rather be in love_

_Yes, I'd rather be in love_

_Oh, I'd rather be in love with you_

"I need to tell you something."

_"All passengers departing, this is the last call. Please disembark immediately. Thank you."_

Kairi glanced at me worriedly, for this was her stop. I had no choice.

_And I feel you holding me, oh_

"But not here, not now. We'll talk...soon."

I glanced at Riku. He was shaking his head in defeat, as was Wakka. Selphie just closed her eyes and looked down.

"Let's go, Kai," Selphie said to her, motioning for her to go.

They waved to us as they walked down the platform. _Soon Kairi, soon._

Then, the ship began moving again, heading for its next destination. 'Goodbye'-s were shouted and replied.

"See you guys!" I shouted, waving wildly, "We'll see you soon!"

My heart sunk as Kairi grew smaller and smaller, slowly disappearing from my sight. I held back any tears that threatened to fall. __

_"We'll see you soon..."_

Those words are false. It'll be a good couple of months before I see any of them.

_Kairi..._

I turned from the sight. She was gone, and I hadn't told her.

_I'll miss you..._

**Author's Notes:** Wow!!! That's got to be the longest chapter I've ever written! And I'm darn proud of it! I spent hours sitting in front of the computer typing all this junk! (What?! You AGREE?! This is NOT junk!!!) So Selphie has a reason! You guys think I should make a chapter out of it? Can you believe Sora didn't get to tell her?!

Yes, yes, I'm very evil. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, please review!

**Reviews:**

**Juzluvnsora:** Mwahahahahahahaha!!! I know your name!!! nodnod Hey everyone! I know her name!!! It's !!! Hope you liked this chapter!

**luv1nyOu: **Hey girl! Sorry! I told you you'd be in this chapter but you weren't! Oh well...I'll dedicate a whole chapter to you! And Sean and Wendy's gonna be in it! What do you think? Talk later!

**madcow863: **Hey, I'm so glad you like my writing! Yeah, I know, I'm the best! Glad you like our writing. I swear, I'll update the story Amanda and I are working on soon. Plz R&R!

**Astaldotholwen: **Hey Candy! (Mind if I call you that? That's what I call this other girl about your age named Candice) Too bad about your chapter... Well, hope you get it up soon!

**aliasfan: **Hey Holly! (Sorry if I'm mixing your name with someone else) The person in the scrapbook is...I have no clue! Naw...it's...it's...I'll tell later. And your prediction is...correct! I'll try to check out your writing when I have time, 'kay? Later!

Hey everyone! Check out my new story I'm working on with Lvkishugs! It's called "Message in a Bottle," and if you have trouble finding it, there's a link in my newly improved biography! Please R&R everyone! Later!

-Lyphe


	7. Moving In

_Chapter 7_

**Moving In**

_Point of View: Kairi_

I don't know what came over me. Like some lost puppy or something, like a child unwilling to part with her favorite toy. Like I _needed_ Sora or something. I have no idea why tears immediately sprung from my eyes as we waved goodbye to the rest of them. I don't know what made me drop all of my luggage and hug him, like I'd really _miss_ him or something. Then I realized, it was all true. I was going to miss him. Not only Sora, but Riku, and Wakka, and Janice, the newest of my friends.

I don't know how long I stood on that pier. It felt like forever ago since I've seen Janice's encouraging smile, Wakka's cheerful beam, Riku's cool smirk, and Sora's goofy grin, when only it had been a few minutes. I don't know, time just seemed to speed up for me. Then the over exaggerating thought of never seeing any of them again overcame me. I quickly shook off the thought.

I stared into the vast, boundless sea. The sparkling white foam sprinkled onto my face as the oncoming tide caught me. _Why was I still here?_ It's as if I wasn't ready to go, like I had unfinished business or something. Something...that my conscious just wasn't ready to part with just yet...

I'm pretty certain it's not the issue Sora wanted to discuss with me, although I wouldn't mind learning what he wanted to talk about. Okay, I'm _dying_ to know what he wanted to say that's being prolonged. I wonder what he was going to say...

"Kairi!"

I turned to the sound of Selphie's voice.

"Hey Kairi! Let's go!"

This time, Tidus spoke, motioning to the cab that they had already called for us. I nodded. Facing the sea once more, I took one last look before grasping my suitcases and proceeding toward my friends. Whatever unfinished matter I had would have to wait. I hurried over to Selphie and Tidus, and quickly stepped inside the vehicle as Tidus stuffed my luggage into the trunk, using up whatever space still remained.

He took the front seat as Selphie and I sat in the back. Soon, the car took off, and I was off to my new life.

We arrived in the sky blue tinted house. My goodness, it was _gorgeous_. Simply gorgeous. Taking only the backpack upon my shoulder, I sped into the amazing domicile, completely forgetting about the suitcases that still lie in the trunk, and the fact that I needed to help Selphie and Tidus unload it. I sprang into the room and gasped, my mouth open, aghast. It was just as lovely as the outside, if not, more. I stepped lightly into the room, my shoes gently _clinking_ on the wooden floors. I gazed at the beautiful living room. There were dazzling snowy white curtains that did indeed seem too royal for our living. There were chairs and sofas awaiting our presence. It just seemed too good to be true.

Then my curious eyes fell to a staircase leading into a second floor. Without a second thought, I began climbing it, completely ignoring a _"Kairi!"_ coming from outside. I guess you could say I was in a _trance_ of some sort. It was simply astounding, too gorgeous for my eyes. The upper floor was split into three rooms: two bedrooms and a bathroom. I slowly paced into the closer one of these rooms, and just fell in love with it! I quickly claimed this room which consisted of a bed, a wooden desk and chair with shelves and everything. Besides the usual, there was a breathtaking view. Just past the bed, and the desk and chair was a glass double door which lead to a sort of mini-balcony! I walked into it, completely caught in its spell.

I placed my hands on the sides then leaned forward. There I spied Selphie and Tidus having some trouble with the luggage. Oh! The luggage! I had completely forgotten about them!

"Kairi!" Selphie screamed, cupping her hands toward her mouth, tilting her head upwards, "You get your butt down here right now!!!"

"Sorry, Selph!" I shouted back down at her.

I raced out of the room, down the stairs, and outside where Tidus just dumped my luggage and others that no doubt belonged to him and Selphie.

"Hey!" I cried, taking a step back, the weight of the luggage easily affecting me.

"That's for ditching us for first dibs!" he teased, carelessly walking into the house, one of Selphie's bags slung over his shoulder.

"You could have _at least_ waited for us!" Selphie said, striking her hand to her hip, as she snatched another bag from the ground.

"Sorry you guys!" I stumbled as I made my way after them, feeling somewhat like a servant, "I totally forgot!"

I finally entered the house, just in time to see them claiming rooms, and Tidus inspecting 'my' room. I quickly dropped the suitcases and heavy bags on the floor.

"Hey Tidus! That room's taken!"

He laughed.

"So what? First come first serve!"

"What?! But-but-"

"He's kidding, Kai," Selphie stepped in.

I blushed. _Of course Tidus was kidding!_ He can be really sweet...but then again, he can be real ignorant. ...But...he's outgrown that...I think... I sighed dreamily as Selphie gave Tidus another one of those playful-just-kidding lectures. Aww... I realized for perhaps the first time what a cute couple they made. That Tidus was lucky for Selphie, as she was for him.

"Hello? Kairi!" Selphie waved her hand before my eyes.

"Yo! Really zoning out today aren't ya!" Tidus laughed.

I laughed a little nervously as Selphie made her way up the stairs.

"Come on, Kairi," she said, "Let's start unpacking."

So let me give you a better layout of the house. The bottom floor consists of a living room, a bedroom, which is now Tidus's room, a little kitchen, and a bathroom. The upper floor is, as I've said before, two bedrooms which turned out to be connected by the bathroom. So Selphie and I have easy access to each other's room, and poor Tidus has to climb the stairs every time he wants to come up!

I sighed, annoyed, as I threw myself onto the bed. Packing is horrible, but unpacking...is worse...

As you might guess, it took me a while to figure out where everything should go. I was limited to one built-in closet, so I had to figure out what to hang, what to throw onto the chair or floor. Then, I had my items! Like my alarm clock for instance: it moved from above my bed, to my desk, to the shelf above it, then back above the bed, then _finally_ to a little drawer which it stands upon now. Oh, I suppose I did say I only had a closet...well...I wonder why I never thought of that...and now, if you'll excuse me, I have to unload some of the clothes I stuffed into the closet back out into the drawer!

Now, surely you have an idea of what I mean! I snatched a huge pile of clothes sitting in the closet, and threw them on the mattress. Trying to have some patience, I began _neatly_ folding them.

I stepped back and glanced through the bathroom into Selphie's room. I couldn't believe it! Everything was unpacked! She sat quietly on a chair, reading. How could she be so organized! I mean, I used to be the organized one! But, then again, I wasn't really that organized when it came to packing and unpacking...

"Hey Selph!" I called, "A little help here?"

She laughed a bit before setting down her book and coming over to help me. So, with the queen of unpacking helping me, we got the _impossible_ job accomplished in a few minutes. I fell back onto the bed, which had its finishing touches of blankets and a bedcover, courtesy of Selphie, exhausted. I threw my arms back, sighing happily. Selphie giggled as she joined me.

"You totally need me."

"Yeah..."

I slipped on a transparent blue blouse over my plain white tank top. I pulled on simple jean shorts, and then skipped into the bathroom to brush my hair. I smiled into the mirror. Oh, suddenly I just felt so happy! We were going to check out the campus in a few minutes! We all agreed it'd be a good idea to get an idea of the place before our first day, so not to miss any classes. I ran the bristles through my long hair, then tying it into a low, sagging bun. Smiling at my reflection, I burst out of the room, energetically, sandals in hand, swiftly making my way down the stairs where Tidus and Selphie awaited me.

Selphie's attire consisted of a short-sleeved yellow blouse, quite similar to mine, over a thin-strapped white top, with a plaid miniskirt and flip-flops. Tidus wore a usual blue t-shirt and medium length shorts, ending a few inches below his knees, sandals were also his footwear. Selphie grinned at me, her emerald eyes shining.

"Ready to go?"

I beamed.

"You bet!"

We left the building, locking it as we left. The gorgeous pre-noon sun's golden rays struck us. We each took out a pair of dark sunglasses and set them on our face. We began walking, for the school was just a few blocks away.

The island's scenery was incredibly beautiful. The variety of tropical plants and flowers and more, but especially stunning were the beaches. White sand and the ocean so blue... Perhaps Valencia would prove to be even lovelier than our home island! We all smiled cheerfully to each other, our spirits high in the clouds. This island was very different from our home, mainly because it's more metropolitan. There were many homes, and everywhere you looked was bustling with life, flourishing with activity. This gave the island a more sort of tourist feel. Our own little island's true beauty is preserved, for its nature hasn't really been disturbed much. Here, you can tell most of the plants and palm trees had been carried over and planted.

"Gosh, I'm so excited, but I'm a nervous wreck at the same time!"

Selphie giggled at my remark.

"I know what you mean! I feel just like that!"

"Well, that kind of feeling is for you girls!" Tidus said proudly, "Guys like me don't get _nervous_!"

"That just means he's a wreck too!" Selphie winked, motioning to the blonde.

I laughed. Typical Tidus. He's only human! You can count on Selphie to know him best! I flashed a smile at the brunette which she quickly returned.

We walked the rest of the way, talking and joking. Before long, we faced the college grounds. The campus lay just before us, quite literally taking our breath away. My face completely lit up. It was just...breathtaking, and this would be where we'd spend most of our time for the next four years! I exposed a wide grin, showing off my teeth. I could just imagine studying here, walking around between classes.

We just stood there in a daze. My smile continued, showing no signs of failing soon. This was it. This is where my story would take off. I don't know how long we just stood there, but it seemed so long. I was mesmerized. The same scenery that had just passed my eyes a few seconds ago still brought me amusement. Excitement struck me.

Shaking off this frozen poise, I linked my arms with Selphie and Tidus. We all smiled at one another, then marched into the campus. My story had begun.

**Author's Notes:** Woohoo! Kairi's gonna start college! Personally, I'm totally excited! If only you knew what I was planning...hehe... Lvkishugs would beat me up, and everyone else would be like, "OHMIGOSH!!!" I think... Well, it's official. Everyone loves long chapters. I'll write another one when a cliffhanger would just be too evil-or would it? grins evilly The ending for ch. 5 was sooo corny!!! It actually hurt to have that chapter end the way it did...not! I love keeping you guys in suspense! Don't Selphie and Tidus make the cutest couple ever? (Besides Sora and Kairi) Maybe later on I'll break them up... Naw, I'd never do that! Auron's in KH2!!! My friend and I saw it in this Japanese magazine that neither of us can read, but there's this screenshot of no other than Auron! Need proof? Drop me a line and I'd gladly email you a screenshot. So, anyways, thanks to everyone that reviewed! You guys are so supportive!

**Reviews:**

****

**Juzluvnsora: **You total busybody!!! Lol. j/k Heh, I do that too! I'm glad you can see it from my point of view, and I _will_ try to update on "Message in a Bottle" soon, and actually I'm writing the next chapter, _Arashi_ right now. Thanks for sticking with this story!

**Lvkishugs:** I can't believe it. You actually reviewed! Gosh, girl! It's been like, forever since you've reviewed one of my chapters! Just to let you know, that last chapter was totally original, I even had to do research! Sora transfer to Kairi's school? But that'll ruin the whole plot! You'll soon see... You finally got italics! So glad for you!

**Brittany****:** Glad you like my story so far! You bet I'll make more chapters! This story will probably have _at least_ ten chapters...I think... 'Kay, hope you find this chapter!

**aliasfan: **smiles...still smiling......._still_ smiling..........Hehe, long chapters make me happy too! But unfortunately, all of my favorite author's chapters are long, VERY long, so I've grown to like medium length chapters, but I still love long ones! ...still smiling...... _Yup, she's lost it_...still smiling...

**HisLight: **I'm so glad you like this little fiction of mine! By the way, you're aliasfan's twin, right? Yeah, I wanted him to tell her too! But...remember...I'M PURE EVIL!!! Mwahahahahahaha!!! cough, choke...dies...

**Aurora****Australias****: **Yeah, I meant that there were people from the other islands. Hey, I don't cuss _that_ much! Every good story needs a little cussing! Okay, forget that, none of my favorite books have any cussing... Oh, yeah, you just know I'm pointing at you and laughing right now! Hahahahahahaha...

So right now, I'm probably updating once a week, well, when school's out, which is in like, a week or two, I'll have more time to write! I'm just having so much fun writing this right now, leaving cliffhangers, and laughing at all you miserable reviewers! Yes, Amy, I'm talking to you!

Some last thoughts: anyone know anything about college? I have no idea what they do in there, or what the classes are like, and what classes there are, and if there's even breaks! And...do you guys think I should start writing other fan fictions at the same time as this? 'Cause just writing Message in a Bottle with Lv is kind of hard, mainly 'cause I have so much work... But I really want to start getting out my ideas soon, especially a new trilogy idea I have. But, I'll probably be able to write them better if I concentrated on them one at a time. Okay, please R&R!

-Ly


	8. Him and his Memories

_Chapter 8_

**Him and his Memories **

_Point of View: Sora_

I carefully placed a framed photograph on the drawer beside the bed and fell back onto my bed with a loud _thud_. I sighed. I was finished unpacking at last. Tilting my head sideways toward the picture, my strained eyes softened. It showed all of us, and I mean _all of us_.

Me, Riku, Kairi, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka. The whole group before everything happened, and everything fell apart. I smiled at the aged photograph. I was squished between Tidus and Wakka. Kairi and Selphie were kneeled on the side, and Riku was in the back, his arms crossed and his expression serious.

Tidus and I both held our wooden swords, ready to fight. Wakka rested his arm on my shoulder, his grin wide, and his hair...red. Okay, his hair just draws attention. Riku looks Riku. I can't remember the last time he actually smiled in a picture. He wore a threatening glare on his face that read 'get-that-camera-out-of-my-face.' I chuckled at his pose.

Selphie and Kairi looked so sweet and innocent. Their expressions showed nothing but joy. They wore leis and tucked flowers behind their ears. Their eyes were merry, shining so beautifully. My gaze shifted to Kairi alone.

With her crystal eyes glistening, and pink tinted lips smiling, she truly looked like a little angel on earth.

Shifting my view to a suitcase still lying idly on the floor, a thought occurred to me. I smirked. _I bet Kairi's having a hard time unpacking._

My thoughts went back to the boat ride over. I frowned incredibly.

_"Kairi!"_

_"I-I..."_

_"I need to tell you something. But not here, not now. We'll talk soon..."_

I growled at the horrible memory. I can't believe I didn't tell her... It was at the tip of my tongue! If I just said, "Kairi, I love you," then everything would be alright...or would it...?

I took this new perspective into view.

Suppose I did say it...what did I expect her to reply? _'Oh Sora! I've been waiting my whole life to hear that! I love you too!'_ I sighed. No...she wasn't the type. She'd probably be totally shocked, and say something like _'Oh...that's nice...'_ I shut my eyes tight. Maybe it was best that my message wasn't delivered.

_"I didn't say it to her, not because I was nervous..."_

I openly my eyes again slowly.

_"...it's because I was afraid she wouldn't say it back."_

"Sora!"

I jumped up.

_Kairi?_

"Sora!"

I listened closely. _Sigh._ No, Janice. It was amazing how much she reminded me of her. She looks so much like her, and lately, she's been _sounding_ like her. I stared into the ceiling.

"What?"

"Don't you want to check out this place?"

"Not really..."

"Sora, you lazy bum!"

This time, I really did jump up. Okay, maybe boarding with her was a bad idea. She was completely reminding me of her right now. The only person who's ever said that to me, let alone called me that was Kairi, and that was four years ago. Four years ago was the Kairi I fell in love with. This Kairi...it's the same Kairi, thought a bit clueless...

Seriously, I've been throwing at her the most obvious hints over and over again, I'm surprised she hasn't said something like, _'Is there something wrong?'_ or _'Why do you keep bringing up the same topics?'_ Is she really _that_ oblivious to the outside world, or is she just too deep within her own little fantasy world? I winced slightly from this new thought. If that's the case, then she'll probably never find out this way. She'll find someone else too soon, and before long, my words will be like a forgotten promise.

Snatching my navy blue backpack, I carefully pulled out an old leather covered book. _My scrapbook._ Plopping myself gently on the bed, I warily turned the fragile pages. I smiled over the silly pictures. I remember giving Tidus my mom's camera she entrusted me with. I was prying open Riku's mouth at the edges, and Tidus snapped the picture, all according to plan. Then, there was one, one hilarious picture of Selphie, courtesy of Wakka. It was when we were seven. He had told me she carried with her a little doll that was absolutely inseparable from her. Being the mischievous critter that I was, I cooked up a plan to get that from her. We all knew she had a huge crush on Tidus, even way back then. So, with Wakka handling the camera, we sent Tidus with a huge bouquet of flowers for her, then, I snuck past her, and snatched the little doll she had temporarily set aside. She saw me, and oh, it was the best picture yet!

Selphie can be really cute when she's happy, but when she's mad, it's a real sight! With her green eyes fierce and huge mouth screaming at me, it proved to be a subject that we've laughed over for many years thereafter. So...there's the picture with me with a raggedy doll tucked under my arm, laughing while running away from a fuming mad Selphie, waving her fist in the air as she chased after me. Of course she got her doll back when she cornered me in the Secret Place. Then, she didn't talk to me or Tidus for a week, she had no idea Wakka took this picture, and she still doesn't know till this day...

I flipped a few pages over. There was a sweet picture of Kairi and Selphie on the beach when they were twelve or thirteen. With their arms slinked over each other's shoulder, they really looked like good friends. I remember that was the day they became instant friends, and friends till this day they are. I guess you could say it was the same for Riku and me.

I flipped the page. There was Riku and me, both smiling. Yup, Riku actually _smiled_. When we first met, I found we were pretty much alike, both mischievous and competitive. We didn't get along at first, but after a good long sword fight, apparently I was a _worthy_ opponent.

There were many pictures after that, but mainly of the three of us: me, Riku, and Kairi. We've been best friends ever since we met each other, even before Kairi and Selphie were friends.

Then, there's the second to last picture...

Kairi was right, it _was_ someone important to me, but I wouldn't call her a girlfriend. Four years ago, _girlfriend_ would be about right, but a lot of things have changed. Why I wouldn't want Kairi to see it? Because Riku wrote 'I love her' all over the back as a joke.

I pulled on my shoes then leniently walked outside where Janice met me. I slipped onto my face a pair of sunglasses, for the sun was at its highest, and the golden rays blinded me.

"So...where we heading?"

"First stop, the college," Janice informed me, taking out her own pair of shades.

She smiled sweetly.

"Ready?"

I was a bit taken back by her resemblance even more when she smiled, but there was a big difference. I grinned.

"Let's go."

Pearl Island...I remember coming here so many years before. The three of us came here with my mom on a vacation in the summer. I've been back here from time to time, on my own, though. I know my way around pretty much, and most of the natives. On the sides of the road are shops the people set up.

"Wow, this place is really nice!" Janice said, awed.

"Yeah. It's really beautiful here too."

It's true. It's quite similar to our home island, with the idea that civilization just began, and this was some sort of fisherman village. But really, that's just the sort of appearance the island wants to take. The beaches are clean, and there are many nature sights, truly beautiful.

We stopped to check out some of the stands that caught our eye. Okay, truth is, Janice dragged me to check them out when she spied some girly accessories. She selected a couple of bracelets and pulled out her wallet to pay. Hey, what did you expect? Me offer to _pay_ for her?!

"Hello Sora! Good to see you again!"

"Hi Nina, how's Galen?"

I smiled at the kind old woman whom I met the first time I visited the island. She wore a red bandana over her snowy hair, and a blue flower print dress. Round glasses were set before her soft brown eyes.

"He's fine. So, I suppose you're here to attend the college on this island?"

"Yup!" I answered cheerfully, "See? I told you I'd go here!"

She laughed merrily.

"Hey Janice, this is Nina. She's in charge of this stand here," I introduced her to Nina.

"So, who's this young lady? Your girlfriend? Whatever happened to that Kylie girl?"

I blushed madly.

"No, it's Kairi, and we're _just_ friends. This is Janice. We're boarding together and _that's it_."

Janice giggled, "Nice to meet you, ma'am!"

"Likewise."

"Well, I'd better pay now," Janice stated, opening her wallet.

"No, no, it's on the house," Nina said with a laugh, "Hope you enjoy your time on the island!"

"Thanks ma'am!"

"Call me Nina." She said with a smile, "I feel so old whenever a youngster calls me 'ma'am'."

We laughed at this comment as we bid her goodbye and walked on.

"She seems really nice," Janice commented.

"She is!"

"Sounds like you know the people pretty well," she said as 'Hey Sora!'-s were thrown our way.

"I guess you could say that!" I blushed.

We walked on, passing an old fisherman. The second we walked past him, he pounced on me. Janice screamed wildly, and started shouting, "Help! Rapist!"

I laughed at her sudden reaction.

"Calm down, Janice, this is Greg, the fisherman, friend of mine!"

Speaking to Greg, I said,

"Heh, you never get tired of trying to scare me do ya?"

The old man smiled, "Hey, the first time I did that to you, you ran away crying to your mama!"

I grinned, blushing. Greg wore overalls over a plaid shirt. A straw hat shaded his darkly tanned face. His grayish white hair curled, reminding me of cauliflower.

"Sorry to scare you, lil' lady," he said to Janice.

"Heh...yeah...nice to meet you Greg, I'm Janice," she said blushing with embarrassment.

"Listen here, if ya ever need fishies, you come to Greg, ya hear?"

"S-sure," Janice said shakily, still blushing madly.

"By the way!" Greg called after us as we walked on, "I hear Ruby's been cookin' up a new spice!"

"Thanks for the tip!" I called to him.

We walked on again.

"He's...cool..." Janice said, her face still beet red.

"Yeah, he used to be a sea captain in his days," I informed her, "You should've seen your face!"

Janice made a face at me as I just kept laughing.

"Hey...who's Ruby?"

"Oh, she's this awesome cook who runs the Inner Inn with her husband!"

"Inner Inn...?"

"Well, yeah, there's the Outer Inn, then the Inner Inn. She makes awesome curry..." my eyes just lit up as I said that.

"She has a son; he says he hates his real name, so I just call him 'Rock'. We're pretty good friends."

Janice giggled at this new information.

"Yeah, we can pay her a visit later on."

"Tell me more about the natives here!" she insisted.

So, I ended up telling her about Naomi, a sweet but mysterious girl who visits the island now and then. I remember we met the second time I came to the island. We became friends after I helped her find this flower she came to see every year. Naomi says she wants to be an adventurer when she grows up, traveling all over the world, and I don't doubt she will be.

"Maybe she's attending this college too," I said, lost in thought.

Then there's Hugh. His dad's an athlete, so he, like his dad, loves to train, and he'd outrun you any day.

"I haven't seen him for a while, so I don't really know if he's still like that," I admited.

Lilly's quite the musical one. She lives with Nina, her grandmother. She's been playing the piano ever since I can remember. Perhaps you think she's a timid little girl. Well, you'd be surprised at how outgoing and smart she is.

"Wait," Janice stopped me, "She lives with her _grandmother_?"

"Yeah, her parents died in a car accident. She was born in the city, but since Nina's her only living relative, she moved to this island. She says she likes it here better, though."

We walked the rest of the way, me telling Janice about all the other natives, and her listening and commenting every now and then. Finally, we reached the college. I grinned. Janice's face showed nothing but awe and excitement. It looked just like I remembered, at least three stories high. The grounds flourished in greenery and tropical plants.

_College Laguna..._

I glanced at Janice; she was frozen to the spot. I took her hand.

"Ready?"

She grinned with a look of determination.

"Ready."

**Author's Notes:** I know, I know, I've been getting a lot of reviews that said Sora wasn't in it. Well Kairi isn't in this one! (Yeah, that's not good...) Well, just to let you guys know, Riku won't be around for a while, but he'll make a nice appearance, and he'll be the good guy-hero soon! I think... Thanks to everyone who helped me with my college problem! I think I have a better idea of what it's like. Yeah, this chapter was kinda crappy... But now, the _real_ plot's starting! I think... This ended up being a whole lot longer than I intended, but that's good! Right?

**Reviews:**

**classengurl: **Glad you like this fiction so far! Thanks for your information on college classes! That really helped me. Oh, and I read your story! I sent you a review, so if you didn't receive it, notify me, and I'll send you another one, kk? Hope you liked this chapter! (I sure didn't)

**Juzluvnsora: **Hehe...maybe I'll make the plot go a lil' slower so you'll have to suffer! Mwahahahahaha!!!cough, choke, dies

**madcow863: **Hey, you're back! Yeah, it's fun messing with Lvkishugs, so yeah. Well, I don't know if what I'm planning's that unexpected, but it's cruel and evil! dies laughing

**gssff: **Really loved your review! Not many are that much fun nowadays. has no clue what she's talking about Okay, hope you like/find this chapter!

**Lvkishugs: **Whoops, I meant bolds. Hmm...Kairi fall in love with someone else? Hehe...you just gave me a great idea! Okay, don't worry; I'll keep going with Message in a Bottle.

**Astaldotholwen: **Writer's block? I can't believe a writer as talented as you have it!!! I don't think I'll ever have it...but then again, I'm still young, and have no idea what I'm saying... Don't worry; I'm stickin' with your fiction till the end!

**aliasfan: **Yeah, glad you like the descriptions, but seriously, what are the chances of her getting a house that nice?! Thanks for the college info! Summer vacation...is so close... Oh yeah, I reviewed one of your poems. Gotta check out the other ones soon!

**HisLight: **Glad you could relate to the last chapter! Thanks for your college info! Yeah...I kinda stole one of the verses from your poem... Sorry 'bout that, it's just that it makes so much sense, and it was kinda the last thing I read when I wrote that.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, as usual. Have a great Memorial Day everyone! (It's so hot here...)

-Ly


	9. Girl of Fortitude

_Chapter 9_

**Girl of Fortitude**

_Point of View: Kairi_

--

My first day of attendance at the University of Artemis...went just as planned. I started this day of mine walking to the college with Selphie and Tidus by my side. I was a nervous wreck, barely getting any sleep at all from the excitement I bore within me. My attire consisted of a clean white blouse and a light blue plaid skirt. I tied my long hair into a ponytail, wisps of auburn framing my face. Slipping into my shoes, I grasped my backpack tightly, my palm sweaty. I made my way down the spiraling staircase, and into the kitchen where a lovely aroma of bacon and eggs greeted me.

I skipped into the kitchen cheerfully whistling. I slipped into the chair across from Tidus, smiling warmly at him, and that smile returned.

"Morning Tidus, morning Selph!"

I giggled at the sight of Selphie. She wore a little apron tied primly around her waist. Settled on her brown hair was a puffy white chef's hat. She turned and made a face at me.

"Hey! Stop laughing! You're lucky I took that cooking class last year!" she said, her hands struck her hip.

I muffled my giggle as Tidus joined me. But Selphie turned out to be quite the cook. We each ate our fill before declaring ourselves stuffed. Dropping my fork onto the plate, I dragged my backpack with me out, and started out the kitchen.

"Where do you think you're going?" Selphie said loudly.

"To the couch, to settle down my bursting stomach! Duh!" I turned around and said clearly to her.

"Oh no you don't! You and Tidus are gonna wash all the dishes. EVERY LAST ONE!" she stated in her loud, frightening voice that mothers used to discipline their child.

Tidus and I stood frozen, bewildered by her tone, and by the high pile of plates sitting in the sink.

"I feel like a mom..." Selphie muttered as she strolled out of the kitchen, tossing off her silly chef cap carelessly.

"Damn..." Tidus muttered as he continued to glare at the huge pile.

Walking over to the sink, slowly, I glanced at the clock. 7:35 am. Pushing back my sleeves, I turned on the water and began scrubbing like a madman err, mad_woman_. Tidus watched, frozen again, and I suppose, rather scared of my violent washing. Turning to him and glaring evilly, he backed up to the wall. I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the pile.

"I'm taking you down with me..." I grumbled.

My first class began at eight o' clock sharp, and I refuse to be late for my first day.

--

7:40 am.

I snatched my backpack and sprinted down the sidewalk, banging the door as I slammed it shut. Poor Tidus, who had to open it again to let himself out, was close behind. I ran as if my life was on the line. Finally, I spotted a blur of yellow before me, walking calmly, rather enjoying her gentle stroll to the university. I charged at her and pounced at her, causing her to release a scream.

"Selphie!" I screamed, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LEFT WITHOUT US!"

She grinned sweetly, as Tidus caught up with us, panting hard.

"Well..." she began, still wearing her innocent little smile, "I didn't want to be late for my first day, and you guys were taking _so_ long!"

Then, we really killed her.

--

I wandered the crowded corridors. The three of us had split up to search for our first classes. I braced myself as I walked through the crowd. I had already been bumped into a couple of times, rather roughly, and I'm sure I don't want that happening again.

I glanced worriedly at my watch.

_7:58. _

I only had two minutes to find my class if I intended to make it there on time. Finally, my quick eyes spied the room I was looking for. Walking in, I could see most of the other students were already seated. Blushing slightly, I slipped into a seat in the center of the classroom. I noticed a darkly colored rotate-able chair facing a dusty chalk board. The bell rung just as I was seated. I released a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, without warning, the chair spun around. In it was seated my philosophy professor. I gasped. She looked...I have no words.

I found my teacher, Professor Kiyle, might just perhaps be a bit on the mad side...

"It's nice to see you all awake and ready! Now, if you'll please glance to the board; oh dear, it seems I may have erased all my plans. Now where is that sheet...oh, a knife? I wonder what that's doing here... I apologize for my lack of readiness."

She was tall and slender with short brown hair in which a variety of clips where littered about. She wore thick rimmed glasses and had previously applied dark red lipstick. She wore an Oxford shirt and a dark skirt. Around her neck was a loosely tied black tie, which she had flung carelessly over her shoulder, allowing it to hang from her back. I grinned. _I liked her._

She wasted no time with any formal introductions. Her name was written neatly on the board, and that proved to be the only source to her name. Next to her name was in parentheses: (ki -y-l) I suppose her name _is_ slightly strange... The lesson itself proved to be incredibly interesting. Her enthusiastic voice rung in my ears, echoing within my head.

I glanced to my left. A tall young woman with pretty auburn eyes and her long chocolate tied in a tight braid sat straight; listening intently on the professor's every word, never interrupting her lecture, all the while scribbling down notes as she spoke. I admired her for her hard work. I peered to my right. A young man with spiked raven hair with dyed streaks of brownish gold, and bright blue eyes, whom continued contribute to the lecture by asking rather interesting questions. I found an interest in him, for he reminded me of Sora, curious and bold. I grinned. I rather liked these two whom I sat between. Perhaps I should ask their names...

The entire lesson went, if I do say myself, exceedingly well. The professor talked over a series of theories and different perspectives and opinions, which I found most to be overall, very interesting and true. She also talked about a novel, which we were assigned to read. I looked at it closely. _It looked like the book Selphie had been reading the other day._ Perhaps she was expecting to have Professor Kiyle too.

"This book is exceptionally difficult to find, the main cause, its incredibly low popularity. Not many bookstores care to carry it. But, I expect you each to get a hold of a copy of this novel, for we will be discussing it each and every day, beginning next week, so that gives you a week to find it, which is more than generous. If my memory serves correct, you can find this book at Ginny's Book Store, it carries the oldest and most ancient books, or perhaps Corders, though I really don't recommend it..."

Putting her books that she had taken out during our lesson back into a purple bag, she glanced up at all of us briskly.

"Anyways...that's it! We're done for the day!" she glanced at the clock hanging above the board, "And we're only one minute late!"

She bid us all goodbye as we made our way down the row of seats. I walked down the stairs, the girl previously sitting beside me just in front of me. I smiled politely at my teacher as I passed her desk. I walked down the hall, the two students whom sat beside me at my sides once more.

"She's quite something, wouldn't you say?" the boy struck up a conversation between us, "Never seen a teacher quite like her."

I just shrugged, "I haven't met any of the other teachers here before, so I really can't say."

"Well, I like her methods of teaching," said the girl, "She knows what she's doing."

"Can you believe we have to read that thick book?" the boy groaned, exasperated, "It's got to be at least 900 pages!"

"I know!" I said, suddenly outgoing, "I hear it's pure torture."

"It _is_," said the girl, "I just began reading it, and it is the most irritatingly boring book ever!"

I laughed at her comment. And here I was thinking she was completely into the class that she'd enjoy any sort of torture!

"By the way, I'm Kairi Hikari."

"I'm Candice Bender," said the girl, "But my friends from back home call me Candy."

"And you?" I asked turning to the blue eyed boy.

"Brent Ohara, nice to meet you guys, or girls," he replied with a goofy grin.

"Oh, so you're Japanese?" I questioned.

"Yeah," he began, "But I don't speak."

I laughed, "Me neither, though people think one of my parents were Japanese."

"So, you guys done here?" Candy asked.

"Naw, I have foreign language at one-thirty," Brent answered, "Thought I should become fluent in my native tongue!"

"Hey, me too!" I said excitedly, "Then I have Island History at four."

"Yeah, I have that too," Candy said happily, "Now I know for sure I'll know someone!"

I grinned at my newfound friends. We walked to the end of the hall, then outside into one of the college's many courtyards, exposing ourselves into the warm sunshine. I quickly spotted Selphie and Tidus waiting for me. Selphie waved to me to catch my attention.

"Well, I guess I'll see you, Brent, after lunch, and Candy at four!" I said turning to my companions.

"Okay, see ya," Candy said with a wave.

"Later." Brent said coolly.

I strolled over to Selphie and Tidus and we started for the boarding house together. We told each other of our first classes, each optimistic and pleased. I told them of my interesting Professor Kiyle, and surely enough, Selphie had her for her next class. Selphie and Tidus seemed interested in my new friends, and they seemed to have made some new friends as well.

"Let's grab a bite to eat before our next class," Selphie suggested.

I glanced down at my watch. We had a full four hours before having to return to the college for our next class. Selphie had her philosophy class next, followed by an arithmetic class; Selphie had discovered during her years in high school she had a passion for math. Tidus had sports, blitzball to be exact. UArt has an entire underwater arena just for the rather violent sport! Then, he had an art class, Tidus turned out to be quite the artistic one! His art was composed of strange shapes, though it was indeed soothing to the eyes, for he had expertise in his choice of shape and color.

"Actually, I can't," Tidus said with a huge grin, "I have a lunch date with this girl from my class..."

I laughed at Tidus' joke, for his face revealed he wasn't serious, though Selphie really had it in for him! She took her books and slammed them on his head! Of course she didn't mean anything serious, but he sure learned his lesson!

"Ow!" Tidus cried rubbing his head, "Is this how you treat all of your boyfriends?"

Selphie just walked on, standing tall, "That's what you get, and if you ever _do_ cheat on me, I'll actually hit you hard."

I laughed as Tidus staggered on behind, still rubbing his head, which was rather spinning from the impact of Selphie's books.

"I can't believe how hard that girl hits..." he mumbled.

I laughed as I dropped my books in the house, then rejoined Selphie and Tidus outside. We slipped on our shades, like always, and headed on for lunch at a nice fast-food restaurant Selphie had spotted earlier. I opened my wallet. Only three crisp _twenties_ remained, and I knew that wouldn't provide me the supplies I needed for the rest of the year.

"I really need to get a job..." I mumbled, a worried expression upon my face.

"Hey, look," Tidus said, pointing at an ice cream parlor we were walking by. "_Help Wanted_," he read.

"Thanks Tidus! You guys mind if I take a look?" I asked, grasping this opportunity.

"No way," Tidus said, "I saw it, and I'm gonna get the job!"

"What!" I cried desperately.

"Just kidding!" he laughed at my pathetic face.

I blushed a dark shade of scarlet before laughing it off, and hurrying into the shop, Selphie and Tidus close behind. I pushed open the glass doors and a cool breeze from the air-conditioned just blew me away. At the counter, I saw a familiar boy talking to the manager.

"Is the job still open?" I burst, running up to the counter, where my hands were bit by the chilly feel of the ice cream case that my hands ran over.

"Sorry, this young man just applied," she replied, and Brent gave me a sheepish grin, "But we _could_ use an extra part-time worker for the same shift."

"Really?" I asked hopeful.

"Yeah," the woman said with a warm smile, "From one to three, think you can take it?"

"Yes, yes! Thank you so much!" I cried out, a little overexcited.

"Welcome to Robinson's!" the woman said sweetly, "I'm Jade, the-err, _your_ manager!"

I grinned at Jade; she looked overly friendly, and was perhaps in her mid-twenties. Her silky shoulder-length chestnut hair brushed slightly against her face. She wore a little pink-striped apron over an attire of a strapless cerulean top accompanied by a snowy white skirt. She wore high-heeled sandals, adding the finishing touches to her cute attire. Overall, she was quite pretty.

"You two start tomorrow, 'kay?" Jade informed us before walking into the flapping doors which led to who knows where.

I smiled brightly at Brent as he smirked at me. I'd be co-workers with my newest friend! Making friends and becoming closer was so much easier than I thought it'd be!

"I'm so glad I got the job!" I exclaimed with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah!" he agreed enthusiastically, "It'll be so much fun working with you!"

I introduced him to Selphie and Tidus, whom found an instant liking to him, and declared I found the nicest people to be friends.

"Hey, you want to join us for lunch?" I offered, "We're just heading out to grab a bite."

"Thanks for the offer, but I have plans, maybe another time?"

"Sure," I said warmly, as we headed out.

"See ya, Miss Kairi." With his two fingers, he gave me a light little casual salute. I threw him a wave as we headed our own little way.

--

**Author's Notes:** School's almost over! The 17th is so close... We're getting our yearbooks in two weeks! Okay...gotta stop talking...

**Reviews:**

**Juzlovnsora:** Is this a SK, or is it not a SK. That is the question. Well, you'll just have to find out! Mwahahaha! Loved your little analogies that made no sense!

**aliasfan:** Yeah, I decided it was time for the return of the scrapbook, though, I really haven't said who it is, and I'm kinda torn over it. Kairi...or childhood crush... Oops...I just kinda screwed it up for you! Okay! Forget all that! Hehe...will Kairi fall in love with someone else? Will Sora? Tune in this summer to find out!

**Astaldotholwen:** I read your one-shot, and I sent you a review. Glad you think my chapter was low in errors! My program has spell check!

**HisLight:** Hehe...glad my descriptions have an affect on you! I'm pretty sure I read that cauliflower line from somewhere, though, I can't remember... Well, glad you're okay with the whole poem-line thing!

**AuroraAustralias: **Yeah, I think I _might _write from Janice and Selphie's point of view. Okay, talk later!

**classengurl: **Yeah, Aniiston's probably my all time favorite writer! I talk to her every now and then. I'll definitely take your recommendations! I've been meaning to check out other's work, but so little time...

About the names, well, Candice Bender's name is split between uber nice people I met at camp! Candice was our camp leader, and also it's kinda Astaldotholwen! (I know that's not how you spell it but...) and Bender's my other camp leader, Elyse, and her sister, Emily, -'s last name! Brent is just a name I remembered using for my elementary school's newspaper (that my classmates and I made) fiction. Ohara is my friend Jessica's last name, and also this guy my other pal, Natsha walks home with. Love teasing her... Kiyle is just a name I made up as I typed letters! I guess I've just always pictured women professors how I described her, probably cause of too much manga... Jade is the name of my friend/fellow writer! Her stuff is soo good! So, I own all those characters! (And Janice, though she's kinda real...)

'kay later ppls!

-Lyphe


	10. Existence of the Inevitable

_Chapter 10_

**Existence of the Inevitable **

_Point of View: Kairi_

I gently picked up the little baby pink striped apron and primly tied it around my slim waist. I seized the slightly wrinkled paper cap, which read "Robinson's Ice Cream" on the sides, and set it on my _neatly_ braided auburn hair. I looked into a small little, slightly cracked square mirror which hung on the snow-white painted wall. I grinned a toothy smile. Facing my co-worker I exposed my usual giggle at the sight of him in a baby blue striped apron and paper cap. He pointed at me and did the same. It'd be a while until we grew tired of this daily routine. I was ready for another day's work.

It's been one month since my first day. I've gained the respect of my other co-workers, whom I seldom do see during my own shift, and of course, Jade. She's been more of a friend than a manager to me. The three of us have had some fun during work when we didn't intend to. Of course, she never forgets her duties, and is still firm with us. The island is still rather warm, even in the autumn, which brings in numerous amounts of customers.

The scenery has become extremely beautiful here in Valencia. The trees have begun to shed their leaves of golden, orange, and brown. The campus trees have begun to do the same, as the once colorful flower petals have become crisp and golden. I remember that one windy day, Selphie, Tidus, and I, all bundled up in wool sweaters and colorful scarves, had decided to sweep up all the leaves into a big pile. The second we finished, my childish side of me took over, and I leaped into the pile, followed by Tidus, and Selphie. I haven't seen her have so much fun since so long ago. We made a great day out of it, and well, we never really got to sweep up the leaves, we decided if we did so, one of us would be tempted to jump in again, and the other two of us couldn't refuse to follow in. So now, there are still playful leaves, flying about in the front yard.

Which brings me to my next topic: UArt. I've gained many more friends along the way, though I'm far closer to Candice and Brent then them, but of course, no one could take the place of Selphie and Tidus. I really love all my classes and all my professors too.

My philosophy class continues to intrigue me. The book, _Constrictions of a Woman_, turned out to be rather tear-jerking and interesting. It was about a young woman whom had been raised up in a world of angst and murder, and had erudite to kill to solve her problems in life. So, she faced a series of tragedies throughout her youth and continued into the beginnings of her adulthood, and struggled to surpass her limitations. I truly shed some tears when I read of her experiences. The book's genre was unknown, for its statuses had been lost in history, it seemed too true to be invented through imagination, though too deplorable and shocking to seem real.

_"And she snatched her pack, not daring to wait and grasp her other lifelong valuables, for she feared her misfortune would shortly return, and strike down another beloved one. She stormed out the door and dashed out; taking no further glance at the place she once called home, for she had caused the death of she who cared for her for so long. It was she who had brought the dagger upon the poor woman's neck, and it was she who had lashed the dagger across her neck, killing her and allowing crimson liquid to gently leak out. They'd surely do away with her when they learned of what she had committed. Without a notice, or any sign of where she might have run off to, Rayne was gone again, leaving no trace, and left that small village forever. Where she'd find hospitality, she did not know. All she knew was she had no choice, no hope, and no future if she had remained there."_

Island History proved to be an incredibly fun and appealing class. My teacher, Professor Lanchey (pronounced _lan-shay) _was an enjoyable teacher who did not believe in strict methods of teaching. She swept us away with her own methods, and quickly grew to be the favorite professor of many. We learned about the history, traditions, and festivals of all the Destiny Islands, covering about one island per month. Currently, we're learning about the festivals of this island, and she's informed us about a winter carnival the school hosts every year.

I've learned so much from my foreign language class. The first day, our teacher, Professor Takahashi, greeted us absentmindedly with a "Konichiwa, toukyuu (good afternoon class)," in the wrong language, for she had forgotten we were only beginners. I truly thought everyone understood that, so I answered, "Konichiwa, sensei (good afternoon, teacher)," I had learned that verse from one of the islanders from back home during my last year of high school. I was the only speaker! So...all eyes turned to me, and I soon became the teacher's favorite, and no, I am _not_ a teacher's pet.

So yes, all my professors are women, though there are plenty of men professors in the college. I've heard they are incredibly strict, so I'm pleased with my selection of teachers.

I've been kept busy with an extremely large amount of homework, so I haven't have time to have too much fun, or been able to keep contact with any of my other friends from back home. I can hardly picture them, it seems so long ago. I remember Wakka's Jamaican accent, Janice's unique personality, Riku's cool smirk, and Sora's...everything.

It's been a while since I've last seen them. I don't find myself thinking of them often though; I've been so preoccupied with college life. The last time we all saw each other is quite a blur to me. I remember talking to Janice during the ride, I remember hugging everyone goodbye, and I remember Sora said _something_ to me, but I just can't recall it. I wonder how they're all doing right now. I'm sure they're all having the time of their lives experiencing college and making new friends. I hope they don't forget me, I know we're a great distance away, but I'd never forget them.

I peeled off my sweaty transparent plastic gloves I had used to serve ice cream to customers, as I talked to Candice across the counter.

"You know, I've heard from the sophomores that Lanchey's class hosts the winter carnival coming up," she said, obviously excited.

"Really? That'll be so much fun!" I said, my expression reflecting hers.

"Yeah, and they say we get to decide practically _everything_," she continued on, "But of course they say Lanchey helps a lot too, and the carnivals are always a_ big_ success."

"Really..." I half mumbled, intrigued.

"Yeah, and they say we get to bring in rides and stuff!"

"Really..." I repeated, now completely gone away to my soft puffy cloud in my fantasy-land.

I sighed, leaning against the counter, lost in my own daydreams, as I could hear Brent fumble around with the equipment in the back. Then, there came Jade's usual, "Get out of there, Brent! What the heck are you doing with that?!"

The winter carnival...it would be _perfect_. I could just imagine it. Snowflakes falling daintily in the background (yes, it _has_ to snow this year) and I can inform all the guys from the other islands to come over, and it'll just be like old times! The three of us, wait, there's Janice too. So, maybe we'll ditch her for that one day! Just kidding, I'd never do that! And the three of _them_, which of course is Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka. And I'm sure Candy and Brent will invite a few of their own friends to hang around with, and if they don't, they'll have each other, and surely will understand my intentions and reasons for wanting to be with my old friends. And Sora...

_Sora..._

I don't know why, but the mention of his name brought instant comfort to my heart. I haven't thought of him for so long, nor has his sweet n' goofy face appeared recently in my mind, I almost feel as if he's slowly drifting away. Oh, well, I suppose in all truths, he is.

"Kairi."

"Kairi?"

"Kairi!"

I snapped out of my daydreams as Candice waved a hand before my face. I blushed slightly as I smiled apologetically for leaving her in reality as I drifted away into my little fantasy-world.

"Hehe...sorry 'bout that, Candy!"

"Come on!" she shoved her watch into my face, "It's three-fifty! If we don't hurry, we'll be late! And I _do not_ intend to break my record of being on time for class everyday."

I quickly slipped my apron on a hook, as I pressed my cap down, flatting it, and stuck it into my backpack. Candice, grasping her items, made her way out the flapping double-doors. I snatched my pack, and stumbled after her. "Bye Jade, bye Brent!" I called as I ran down the street after Candice. Ugh, this seemed too much like my first day when I had to chase after Selphie.

"Candy!" I wailed as I chased after her down the street, the sun golden, and sky splashed with colors.

**Author's Notes:** Yup, I'm finally finished with this pathetic excuse for a chapter. I skipped a month ahead, 'cause I really wanted the action to start happening soon! It's not as great as I've make it sound, but I just want to get it out. Yei... we get our yearbooks next week! Oh, and sorry for _another_ part of _"The Life of Lyphe!"_

-

Yesterday (6/8) was our school's annual family picnic! I went; mainly because Natsha and I were gonna sing "Happy Go Lucky," the song we sang in the talent show. It was fun, though the sun was in my face, so I had to squint for pretty much the whole song. I don't mean to sound conceited or anything, but most of my friends told me separately they thought I sounded better than her!

Okay, I just have to make this one statement: _7th graders are weird_. Stupid people keep staring, or rather, _glaring_ at me for no reason! Stupid people!

-

**Reviews:**

**Daggerly:** Hey! You're finally back! I have a strong urge to pronounce your name 'Dagger-lee!' Lol. I'm so glad you like this story so much to add it to your favorites! Thanks for sticking with it this long. (Even if you didn't reviewhinthint jk)

**aliasfan:** Hmm...Kairi and Brent...you've just gave me a great/evil idea...

**Astaldotholwen:** Gosh, it's so hard to write your penname!!! I'm always wondering if I missed a 'l' or not! I can't wait till ITDWM is updated! I'll be the first to review! Or at least one of the first!

**HisLight: **Well, delivering newspapers and babysitting is better than what I have, which is absolutely nothing! Mwahahaha, I'm lazy! But I save my cash, so, yeah. Okay, I'll give you a little preview of the next chapter. It's Sora's point of view, and Janice is expecting company from people she can't really deal with right now... Okay, maybe not _exactly_ like that, but she _is_ expecting old acquaintances.

**classengurl: **I know your favorite authors are great writers, but, gosh! Why do I have to be so busy?! I'm glad you like the college classes I've developed! Though the Island History one is a little off... Gosh, what I'd give for a teacher like Lanchey... Hmm...I wasn't originally going to make Kairi like Brent, but, maybe something like that can happen! Watch out! She's gone evil/mad!

**Aurora****Australias****: **Her major? Girl, do you really think I know _that_ much about college? Lol. Hey, Sunday was really fun! That husky was sooo cool! Its eyes were so pretty!

**madcow863: **Hey! You're a writer now! Give me a hint when you start writing! You're out already?! strangles madcow Sorry, don't have one, but I'll let you know when I do.

Okay I'm gonna start posting these questions I've decided to ask, 'cause I'm bored and have no life. Please answer!

**Question of the Day:**

****

**_What song are you currently addicted to?_**

****

**My answer: Leave (Get Out) by JoJo **

Sorry if anyone's waiting for the next chapter of MiaB! I'm so busy, don't worry Amanda! I'll get to writing it soon! One more thing, there's no rollercoaster involved in this story! (there's a Ferris wheel) But, the title, it's like a rollercoaster of her heart. Okay, please review you guys!

-Ly


	11. A Favor

_Chapter 11_

**A Favor**

_Point of View: Sora_

I dumped my heavy navy blue backpack on the wooden planks with a heavy _thud_. Sighing exasperatingly, I fell back against my bed and shut my weary eyes tight. _College sucks..._ My literature professor, Randley, was a pain in the ass. He assigned us impossibly _hard_ homework that none of us have any hope of comprehending or accomplishing. Or at least for normal people.

I swear, I was thrown into the wrong class. The kids are so frickin' smart! They know just about everything Randley throws at us, and apparently to them, I'm the _dumb_ one, and I'm holding the class back from going any faster. Seriously, like this isn't fast enough. To make matters worse, the stupid teacher always gives me a hard time during class for absolutely nothing! He just likes picking on me because I'm not as _intelligent_ as the others. ("Intelligent is a far better word than _smart_," he said) Above all that, I hate his stupid British accent.

Then come second class. Mrs. Hedland is the worst woman teacher I've ever had. She is so ignorant and acts like she's still a slut-y teen. ("Okay, like, how am _I_, like, supposed to, like, know _that_?") For the love of God, she is a professor who is supposed to know what subject they're teaching, and she is not young, she is not even close to being youthful. She is an old woman in her late forties, who has dyed streaks of unnatural color into her dark brown hair, and has grayish white strands amid all that.

The only aspect that makes her slightly better than Mr. Randley is that she doesn't single me out in her fun. Of course I've been her target once, I mean, it's impossible not to make a smart comment on her "teachings," but that's all, and I'm not the only one doing the talking, there are a lot of guys, and one bold girl, no it is not Janice, she's too goody-goody.

Naomi. She really came to join me at Laguna. It's been a lot of fun catching up with her; after all, it's been at least five years since I've seen her. Naomi's gotten really pretty since I last saw her. She's not as cold and quiet as she used to be, though she still contains some of those traits. She has attractive bright blue eyes, and very short jaggedly cut burgundy-ish colored hair which goes to about her chin. We have the exact same classes, which is great.

My last class of the day is Professor Yu. She has got to be the only good thing about these classes we have. Mrs. Yu is far more accepting than the other two of my teachers. She is calmer in her teachings, and seems like quite the expert in her division. Professor Yu is a Korean woman in her mid thirties at the most, without a hint of an accent. She is tall with sleek raven black hair up to her shoulders. She makes learning actually fun for a change, and I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Janice has all the luck. All her teachers, including Professor Yu, are nice to her. She is definitely the ideal teacher's pet. Perfect grades, perfect scores...gosh, is there an off button to this girl? She carries home a huge bundle of homework, and acts like it's nothing. That is just...bizarre. She likes going around, and "lecturing" me about being a good student, and "If I just gave Mr. Randley a chance, he could be a great teacher!" That is just wrong, that _teacher_ is a big softie to girls, while he tortures me on the side.

During the first week of school, Janice had encouraged, or perhaps what would be more accurate, _forced_ me to get a job. So now, we both work at _Hamburger Haven._ It's okay, actually, we work in the afternoon during our breaks from school, and our payment supports us with more than we need, mainly because Janice is very thrifty with money, or at least you'd think so.

Being often seen around campus with two girls, I've often received unintentional teasing. Of course I'd never think about either of them as my lover, since one, Naomi's my childhood friend, even if I used to have an incredibly large crush on her...

_"Umm...Naomi?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_I shifted uncomfortably._

_"I've always really, really liked you since we've met last year..."_

_"Aww, Sora, that's so sweet!" her face just lit up as she said that, "No one's ever liked me before! I'm glad you do!"_

_Then, she hugged me tight, and planted a light kiss on my cheek. I blushed uncontrollably. Little did I know Riku was hiding in the bushes, camera in hand..._

But that was a long time ago when I was eleven. We both set our "feelings" aside, and decided just to become friends. In the end, that proved to be the better solution. Now secondly, Janice, I'd never date. You know why? 'Cause she's Kairi's friend, and I like _Kairi_, not her.

But it's really hard to go on like this, I mean, I've been wanting to talk to her for so long now, and we haven't have the chance to talk since the boat ride over. I guess our schedules are pretty different, since no one's ever home when I try to call, and they haven't installed an answering machine yet, so she'd never know I called. I guess you can say I've given up trying to call her. Emailing her doesn't work either. I guess she's been really busy lately, and hasn't checked her email for a while. She's never logged on when I try to instant message her, and I'm really too busy to actually go over there myself and talk to her. That kind of eliminates all my options, and I guess I'll just have to depend on her to try to reach me. Having said that, I guess I'll be waiting for quite some time. She probably forgot about me by now, and has a boyfriend, and is happy and content with her college life, which is not for me to disturb.

I opened my eyes.

_Maybe it's time for me to move on..._

_Rayne scowled, annoyed, at the little boy who just wouldn't shut up. He _was_ persistently jumping up and screaming, "Is he your boyfriend?" "Do you love him?" "Is it true you're _insane_, like all the elders say you are?" But now, he knew her secret. "You'd better do my chores and clean my room and buy me all the toys I want, or else I'll tell everybody!" She glowered maliciously at the child only the age of seven. She smiled wryly, a hint of evil in her smirk. "Okay, follow me..." He followed her into the room she was currently resting at. His never-ending questions continued on. He jumped onto her bed, bouncing up and down, cheerfully. Without realizing what she was doing, Rayne pulled out the dagger she hid in her sleeve and stabbed the poor child. His pupils deepened, as his mouth dropped, and let out a merciless scream. Blood poured out wildly, soon painting his clean white shirt crimson. She gasped, horrified at what she just did. The child fell back, unconscious. The life was slowly draining out of him. Without a second thought, she snatched her pack, and sprinted out, still aghast at what she done...again. She wiped the blood on her sleeve, then slipped it back into its hiding place. She ran away again. Who knew what the village elders would sentence her to when they discovered what she had committed. She was already on the official's top ten most wanted list, but never had her picture taken, so therefore no one ever recognized her, the only reason she was still alive. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks. Her crimped raven hair flew behind her wildly as she stumbled out the parish. The black silhouette of a girl disappeared behind the hills as she once again fled for her life._

Janice wept as she read the next chapter of _Constrictions of a Woman_. She couldn't believe how a thirteen year old girl could be so malevolent and cruel. She slipped her homemade bookmark into the page as she shut the book. She glanced over to the cover. _No author._ She flipped a few pages into the book to the publisher's note.

_"...the last remaining original copy of this book was severely damaged, and I and others could not make out the author's name..."_

Janice groaned. How could they not make out the author, of all people, -'s name?! So who was supposed to claim the credit given to this book? The _publisher_?! Janice snorted in disgust. _Ugh...greedy people who just want all the recognition..."_

As you can easily tell, Janice was a strong opinioned and strong willed person. She could be really cool and funky during her social life, but she was dead serious when it came to school and her education. She had gotten a scholarship to Laguna from playing basketball, and she didn't intend to stop any time soon. As Sora did say, she was practically perfect. She was MVP on her team; she had a perfect grade point average, which meant she had perfect test scores. But she didn't just get them by pure luck. Oh no, she spent hour after hour studying, as much as she detested doing so.

The phone rang. Janice leaned over to pick it up. The annoying ringing and rumbling of the cordless phone halted as she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Janice?"

Her eyes lit up. She knew exactly who it was.

"Ohmigosh, Cara?!"

"Yup!"

Cara was her best friend before she had to transfer away to the Destiny Islands.

"How are you and everyone else doing?!" Janice said excitedly.

"Great! College life rules! We all wanted to visit you this weekend, since none of us have any plans or homework, and we all totally miss you!"

Janice burst into smiles as she heard this new information.

"That is so great! Who's coming?"

"The whole gang!" Cara exclaimed, "You know, me, of course, Emily, Natalie, and the guys, Sean, Kenji, and Daniel."

"S-Sean?" Janice stuttered.

"Yeah!" she started, "Oh! Is that alright with you? I mean, I know you're probably not over it yet, but I can ask him not to come, if that'll help..."

"No, it's okay," I replied softly, "I'll be fine."

"Okay, but just to let you know, he's bringing his new girlfriend, so yeah."

"Okay then," I almost whispered, "I'll see you...Friday?"

"Yeah, we'll be there. 'Kay, later, girl."

"Later."

She plopped the phone back on the table. She fell back against the bed, releasing an anxious sigh. Oh, Sean... There was a time they were perfect for each other. She liked him, and he liked her. They were so close to becoming something more than friends. Cara had encouraged her to confess to him her feelings, but she was shy and timid back then, so she just wrote him a love letter, but things went horribly wrong...

(Janice's POV)

_"So did you do it?" Cara asked me excitedly._

_"Yup!" I answered cheerfully, "I wrote him a letter, and I just put it in his backpack!"_

_"You wrote him...a _love letter_?!" Cara questioned, raising an eyebrow, annoyed._

_We started to walk home, when I realized I had left my social studies book in my locker back at school._

_"Shoot!" I cried as I started running back, Cara close behind, as I explained to her why I was going back._

_As I marched down the empty corridors, I heard snickering coming from one of the classrooms. I slowed down as I peeked into the classroom._

_"Ooh Sean, she really _LOVES_ you!"_

_"What're you gonna do about it?"_

_"You don't actually _like_ her do you?"_

_"Well, we get along really well, and we talk a lot, but we're _just_ friends, I'd never like her like _that_. Getting a letter like this doesn't change any-"_

_Now, he just spotted me. His expression showed shock and surprise. I just stood there, completely shocked, but mainly horrified at why he'd do such a thing. Anger flowed through me as my legs found their strength again and just took off._

_"Janice!" he called._

_I ran until I found myself short of energy. I wandered around in the park, finally sitting down on a green bench._

Just friends...

Well, that's okay...

_I stared at the sky as tears lingered on the edges of my eyes._

But you didn't have to joke about it with your friends!

_Tears erupted from my dark eyes._

How could I have fallen for you...?

(End Janice's POV)

I heard a knock on my door. Pulling myself roughly from my comfortable position on my bed, I called out a gruff, "Come in."

Janice walked in, looking a little unsure and timid.

"Hey Sora," she started, seating herself on a chair.

"Okay, what do you want?"

"Well, it's just that a few of my friends from back home are coming to visit this Friday."

"That's nice." I stated, not really paying attention.

"Listen Sora!" she pleaded, her eyes big, making herself look like a Kairi clone again, "I really need you to do me a big favor."

I sighed. Well, it's just one little good deed. She really looks like she needs some help, might as well do whatever she wants me to. Sighing again, I turned myself completely to face her.

"What?"

She hesitated a second before speaking.

"Will you...will you pretend to be my boyfriend?"

**Author's Notes:** gasps Ohmigosh, what's going to happen next? Wasn't that totally evil what Sean did to Janice?! Okay, the people are real, but the events are not! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the book, "Constrictions of a Woman," yeah, it's not a real book, I just made it up 'cause I thought the last chapter needed to be longer. But it turned out to be a fun little mini-fic to add in. Hedland is the last name of this slut that goes to my school. I was really surprised how many people answered my little question! I really didn't think you guys would pay attention to it! Okay, I've listened to "Leave" way too many times; now, I'm kinda addicted to "Pieces of Me." It was kinda cool to learn a little about my reviewers! But anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed!

**Reviews:**

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**madcow863: **It's cool you'll be writing soon. I just hate it when _my_ computer starts acting gay...

**zilly: **Glad you liked my story so far, hope this chapter was okay, though I guess it was kind of confusing...

**HisLight: **Aww, lucky! I haven't been to many theme parks really... Don't worry, I like long reviews!

**aliasfan: **Yeah, it's pronounced "Dagger-lie." I like Avril Lavigne too, but I haven't gotten her cd yet... I really don't know if I will... Too busy to go out... Or at least I'm busy in my opinion...

**Daggerly: **I've never played it, but I just checked the picture, and she's kinda pretty! I guess I look a little like FFX-2's Lenne, except asian-ized. Lol.

**Aurora****Australias****: **Whoops, I meant Saturday. Yeah, your picture wasn't bad, better than mine. I hate pictures... Okay, I'll talk to you later!

**classengurl: **33 emails?! Wow, that's kinda cool... Well, since my school's gonna be out this Thursday, I'll probably have more time soon. Hey! Brent is a good guy! Don't be scared! My OC is totally cool!

**Question of the Day:**

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**_What is currently your favorite flavor of ice cream?_**

****

**My answer: I think it's something like 'cherry flavored with chocolate' or something like that...**

Yeah, I had to change the college Kairi attends 'cause the person who lent it to me in the first place got pissed at me (for no reason) and threatened accusing me of plagiarism!!! You guys all remember when I said they weren't mine! I have to start putting disclaimers... But, I'm over it. You'd better hope so, 'cause I can make some evil things happen to Kairi and Sora. So...now, Kairi goes to the University of Artemis! Yeah! Artemis is cool! When I say 'Aphrodite,' you say 'sucks!' Aphrodite! (sucks!) Aphrodite! (sucks!) Yeah, I'm having a blonde moment... Okay, please review everyone!


	12. When They Came

_Chapter 12_

**When They Came**

_Point of View: Sora_

--

"Will you...will you pretend to be my boyfriend?"

I gaped at her, my mouth literally dropped, and my eyes widened slightly. A few awkward seconds past between us. I attempted so many times to answer, but nothing came out. My voice just halted. I mean, exactly how was I supposed to answer this? She wants me to pretend to be her _boyfriend_?! Exactly _what_ makes her stupid enough to even ask me this question? If she's sane enough, she'd know my answer is an instant NO!

She looked at me, nervously, carrying the look of hope. I tried speaking again. I could only make out strange noises. She looked so helpless, actually rather pathetic if you took some time to study her expression.

"I-I..."

That was all I could mumble out. How was I supposed to turn her down? _"Oh! Thanks, but no thanks."_ A bit too corny. _"Umm...how do I say this...NO."_ Yeah...that was a little too mean. I don't know how long we just stood there. I could see Janice was starting to regret that she asked me that. Think Sora! How do you reject a girl? I've seen Riku do it all the time! Now what does he say...? Oh right! That's it!

--

_"My answer's on this piece of paper."_

_Then he'd walk away, and the girl would open it, hoping to find he had written 'yes' or perhaps his number. Of course, she'd be disappointed when she found it read, "No," or "You wish."_

--

I thought about the many times he had turned down girls this way, and actually considered it for a moment. He always carried a piece of paper with him when he was sixteen or seventeen. Now, he just says it straight out, "yes" or "no." A droplet of sweat slipped down the side of my face. I didn't have paper... I shifted uncomfortably, then I looked at her and realized the only reason I was scared to say no. _She looked too much like Kairi._ Realizing this foolish reason, I grasped my thoughts again, and I said boldly,

"No."

I started to walk away. "Sora!" Janice cried as she followed me out the room, "Please? I really, _really_ need you to do this for me!" I turned around to face her. I twisted my face to look half sorry for her. "Let me think about it...NO." I walked down the stairs, the light _thumps_ behind me indicating she was still following me. I opened the door and walked outside, slamming the door behind me. "Come on Sora!" I heard the door open and close again, and I sighed, annoyed.

"Just do this one favor for me, and I'll never ask anything from you again."

"Umm...how do I say this...NO."

Then, she marched in front of me, carrying a rather furious expression on her face. She struck her hand on her hip, leaning slightly to her left.

"And why not?"

"I-I..."

Okay, I didn't have a _good_ reason, I just didn't want to. And besides, she has a lot of boyfriends she could ask.

"You have a lot of boyfriends, ask them!"

She sighed, annoyed and frustrated, "_Guy-friends!_ They're only friends, and I know you way better that I know any of them!"

I turned from her again, going down a different sidewalk. She was really pushing it... If it were Kairi, maybe... But I'm not going with a Kairi-look-alike, just 'cause she...looks like her! And now that I think about it, they really don't look that much alike. Kairi has long auburn hair and blue eyes. Janice has short dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes. The only thing exactly the same is their height and that really isn't much to notice.

"And besides..." she continued on, "I know you'd do this for Kairi if she asked you."

My face burned up, I blushed madly. "Wh-What? I don't know what you're talking about!"

She smirked, having found my weak spot. I altered my position slightly, an awful attempt to hide my scarlet face. I averted me gaze to the ground, afraid to face her again. Gosh, she was like a scheming Selphie and a caring Kairi all in one! I could see her walk around me to face me again out of the corner of my eye. I gulped. She was getting scary...

"I'm intrigued," she started, as she once again faced me, "I know what you were going to say that one day a month back, and I'm sure you'd love it if _I_ told Kairi myself what you were going to say!"

My expression changed from embarrassment to instant shock and appall. _This girl was blackmailing me!_

"Let's see," she continued on, "How should I start this? 'Oh hey Kairi! Remember that boat ride over, and Sora was trying to tell you something? Well he was trying to say-'"

"Okay, Okay!" I nearly screamed as I quickly interrupted her. If any of the by passers had heard what she said, that attended Laguna, I'd never hear the end of it! I sighed in defeat, "Okay, I'll do what you want, but exactly _what_ do you want me to do?"

She grinned brightly, obviously pleased at her victory, "Well, as I've told you, about six of my friends from back home are coming to visit me! They want me to show them around the island, you know, give them a little tour of the place."

"So why do you need me?" I asked, not at all pleased at my job description.

"I wasn't finished," she said, slightly irritated, "Well, I don't go out very often, so I'd be kind of lost in this place... It's just for one day! And I need them to think you're my boyfriend."

"Okay..." I mumbled, still containing a hint of confusion, "But what's with the boyfriend act?"

I'm guessing that was the wrong thing to ask, 'cause suddenly, her face burned up, not of embarrassment, but of...anger...?

"Sean's coming...and apparently, according to Cara, so is his new girlfriend...heh heh..." she growled, still trying to appear cheerful.

"Who's he?" I asked her.

Rather ignoring my question, she gave her own answer, "God! I can't believe he'd do something like that right before I moved!!! We could've had such a sweet thing going on! He even told me he liked me! But now, suddenly he's got a girlfriend!!! What's wrong with guys these days?! Do they get over things _that_ fast?!?!"

I started to sneak away, but...she snatched me back, and continued on, while I was completely petrified, "SO...I wanna show all them how happy I am with my own boyfriend, and I don't even care about Sean anymore!"

I gave her a look the sane gave to the crazy. This girl was out of her mind! The only reason she wanted me to act for her is so she can show me off to her friends?!

"I changed my mind, no," I started to walk away again.

"Please Sora!" she cried, running after me, "You know how hard it was for me to ask! And besides! I _know_ you _would_ do something like this for Kairi! I'll pay you back somehow, I promise!"

I stopped, sighing in defeat. _She was right._ "How?"

She beamed, "OhmigoshthankyouSora!" She hugged me so tight, I couldn't breathe...

"Y-Your –cough- ch-choking –cough- m-me!"

She quickly let go, "Whoops, sorry! I'll think of something! Thank you so much!"

"Whatever..."

--

"What? Janice's boyfriend?!"

"Mmm-hmm," I said back into the phone.

I was talking to Riku, trying to keep in touch every now and then.

"Well, what about Kairi?"

"What about Kairi?" I asked as I reached for some junk food I stashed in my room.

"Well...don't you like her? Wouldn't it be like...cheating on her?"

"Riku," I started as I chewed on some gum, "Nothing's going on between us, and we haven't spoken since that one day, so...well, I'm thinking she's already got someone..."

Riku didn't say anything.

"Besides," I continued on as I popped some popcorn into my mouth, "Nothing's gonna change between Janice and me."

"Hey Sora, gotta go, but I'll talk to you later," Riku said, "Good luck on your date!"

"It's not a date!!!" I screamed into the receiver as he hung up.

I sighed as I placed the phone back in its place. I guess this situation _did_ seem like it... Janice is obviously still in love with the guy. She is totally clueless about how she should handle it... But...then again, I'm not exactly the person who should be talking...

--

_Friday._

I glanced at my watch as I leaned against a pole. Janice dressed in a black tank, and dark jeans, her hair completely down. Me...I was just wearing a shirt and shorts. ("Come on Sora! You have to look nice for my friends!" "Nope! I can dress any way I want!") She glanced around nervously for the boat to pull in.

"They're here! They're here!" she cried as the honking of a ship rang throughout the air.

"I see..." I mumbled, my eyes still ringing.

The ship halted at the pier as a huge crowd of passengers poured out. I dragged Janice to the side to avoid being trampled by the many tourists. She searched the crowd wildly, looking for any trace of her old friends. I mimicked her actions, though I've never met any of them...so I wouldn't know what any of them would look like... It was a few minutes before the rush of passengers diminished.

"There they are!" she cried, pointing to a small group of teens, exiting last.

She ran over to them, I decided just to stay put. I'd feel too awkward among a group of people I've never met.

("Ohmigosh, Cara!" "Ohmigosh, Janice!")

Then came a series of 'hi'-s and 'how you've been?'-s, and a lot of other greetings.

"Hey Janice!"

"Wow, you cut your hair!"

"Hey, great to see you again!"

I glanced at her blissful face. _She looked so happy._ Maybe the happiest I've ever seen her. I put on a friendly smile, and then walked over to them.

And so, my "date" began...

--

**Author's Notes: **Well, it's been a while since I've updated! I just didn't feel like writing this week... Whoohoo! My school got out this Thursday! But...I'm kinda sad too... Whoops, gotta stop rambling on. My brother had his graduation ceremony on Thursday too! I almost cried a few times at the beginning! Oh yeah, thanks to everyone who reviewed my two crappy one shots! I got so many for my first attempts! You guys are so supportive despite how much I suck! Hey, I need an opinion for my next chapter, what should I do next? Kairi's POV (find out a little more about her school life, maybe I'll make Brent have a crush on her...) or Sora's POV (find out what happened during his "date")? You decide! And if you don't...well, you never know what I'll do!

Oh, by the way, I got soo many reviews! Not all for the same chapters, but still! Thanks everyone!

**Reviews:**

**Zanisha:** Hey, thanks for reviewing! Yeah, let's see... -goes through reviews- You reviewed chapter 2, and were reviewer number 5! I'll try to check out your work as often as possible, I'm still pretty busy, and my computer keeps screwing up... Oh, and you get a cookie! Lol.

**Daggerly: **I know! I used to think she was a he too! Oh, and to your question, both. Confused? Think about it: if I'm asian, I'd be asian, and look it. Lol. Yeah, I'm not normal; I can't just say 'I'm asian.'

**Juzluvnsora: **Yeah, I'd hate them too if I weren't writing this! But...they're cool in real life. Janice is based on my friend Janet, and Naomi looks nothing like how she does in real life, I just wanted her to remind Sora of fourteen year old Kairi.

**HisLight: **Lol. You and aliasfan both like the same thing! I try to make stuff exciting; I'll make sacrifices if I have to. What sacrifices? Well, I'll screw up my characters' love lives!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

**madcow863: **I'm so glad you started writing! I'll try to review every time, but don't be surprised if I forget a chapter or two, I often forget what fictions I read...

**aliasfan: **_'What if they have to kiss?'_ Gosh, you guys keep giving me great suggestions without even realizing it! Lol.

**Shinimegumi Sky: **Hey, glad you decided to review! Actually...you didn't say that... Well, I love your original fic, and I'll try to review as soon as you update, but I don't go on fictionpress that much, so it might be a while...

**Da UnDeRsIgNeD: **Well, I guess I was expecting to get a flame sooner or later, but hey, I'd prefer if you gave me some constructive criticism instead of just plain out saying I suck.

**Infrared Ray: **I'm glad you like! Oh, and I don't have or play Harvest Moon: AWL, so yeah...

**Brittany** Hey, I remember you! _Kinda _cute? Okay, my friend Lvkishugs and I just think he's way more than just cute! Lol. ARGH!!! If you asked me earlier, I could've given you Janice's role! Or Naomi, but I'm kinda finished with her... Well, I think I can smuggle you in, but just VERY briefly... I'm sorry, I can't think of any other place to stick you in! But, I can also briefly put you in at the very end as one of the friends Kairi's hosting the carnival with!

**Astaldotholwen: **I so love your fictions! Don't worry; I'll always be there to review! I know what you mean; my fake fic is too...creepy...

--

**Question of the Day:**

**_Are there any sluts that get on your nerves at your school?_**

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**My Answer: Oh yeah! Slut 1) Kelly Humphrey, Slut 2) Alexi Hedland. They wear way too much makeup for girls our age. I'm trying...very, VERY hard to stay nice to Kelly, since she doesn't hate me...yet, but I don't hesitate to walk into Alexi's path. **

Okay, please review!

-Lyphe


	13. Numb

_Chapter 13_

**Numb**

_Point of View: Sora_

I fell forth, slumping across my bed in my usual manner. _Ahh...finally, the end of a long,_ hard_ day._ My "date" was finally over. I can't say things ended particularly _wonderful_, but I guess you could say some things were cleared up. I listened for the slow slamming of the front door. Then, it came. I sighed. _Poor Janice..._ She's been through a lot today... I guess you could say I'm exhausted, it's a relief to get all that over with, though I guess actually meeting new people on account of my own will, well, no, actually Janice forced me, well, it's a nice experience for me. I'm rather outgoing, but when it comes to making friends, well, I don't do well in that area.

Janice entered my room, plopping down on my bed beside me. I glanced at her carelessly while she returned a grateful look. A few moments of silence passes between us. I was beginning to wonder why she had come into my room in the first place.

"Thanks Sora," she started, her voice a low tone, though sweet and showed her words were true, "I know it was really a lot to ask of you, and I'm really glad you could do that favor for me."

I sat up, now looking her in the eye. "Yeah, you'd better be thankful." I looked at her again, she looked sad for some reason. My face softened, "Just kidding, Janice!" She managed to show a faint smile. I looked down. _She obviously wasn't ready to get over him yet._ "So...what's the deal between you and Sean anyways?"

She let out a rather despondent sigh before answering. "Well...we were pretty good friends, before I moved away. I liked him, and I was so sure he felt the same. Then one day, that just all blew up in my face." I could see she was trying hard to hold back unwanted tears. She bit her bottom lip, eyes swelling up, "When my parents brought up the mere issue of my college, I used that as an instant escape from him; I just couldn't go to the same school as him, I was too humiliated. So, then I moved to our island, and applied to Laguna, and here I am now."

I averted my gaze to her now, "But, I never expected to get a visit from them, I never thought Sean would even want to see me again! When I he told me...when he told me _that_, I felt so happy...like I was on cloud nine. But...I remembered what Wendy said to me. I couldn't go through with it without at least the slightest sense of guilt. And then...well, I couldn't believe what I was doing next, I couldn't believe I didn't want the one I truly loved most."

Feeling an incredible amount of sympathy just immediately dumped on me, I edged closer to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. She finally broke, and her tears poured out. Her head fell to my chest, and I just held her there for a few minutes. I sighed. _What would I have done if I were in her position?_ My mind wandered about, to the events held previously this Friday afternoon...

****

**(Janice's POV)**

I laughed. I laughed a lot. Here I was, amidst all my old familiar friends. I felt renewed, like this was the group I truly belonged to. I felt content, as if this moment should never end. There was Cara, my all in all number one friend before Kairi, bouncy blonde Natalie, and quiet, sophisticated Emily. Then, I saw him. Sean stood in his group of friends, _the guys._ I smiled toward them, my grin containing hints of sadness. Then, I noticed a short little girl standing beside him, showing off her fake laughs, all the while slyly linking her arm with Sean's. My hands formed a tight fist, while I decided to keep my voice...cool.

"Hey, who's she?" I struggled to keep my voice sounding typical.

"Oh, her?" Natalie asked, pointing at this new girl in our group.

"That's...Wendy...Sean's new girl," Cara said, hardly above a whisper just for my sake.

"Oh..." I trailed off, my voice dripping with a tinge of malice, "I see..."

We watched them for a few moments, before Sean finally noticed me; how ignorant has he really gotten over these years? ...Or is he trying to avoid me? There was a few seconds of dead silence; the tension grew up, before Cara finally broke this awkwardness.

"Hey! You guys! Get over here! Is this how you greet a friend that we haven't seen for almost half a year?!"

The guys immediately rushed over, Kenji and Daniel both warm and welcoming...but of course they still had their teasing in for me, then Sean and this..._Wendy_ last. I broke into smiles; after all, I wasn't gonna look sad for Sean and his new _girlfriend_! My façade became real, as I quickly became myself again, and my mouth started off, nonstop! I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, Wendy had edged closer to Sean. I stiffened. _Wendy_...she had shoulder length raven black hair, and bright, defiant maroon eyes. She was about my height, well, maybe one or two inches shorter. She was dressed in about the same attire as me, except her tank was...angelic _white_.

I snorted silently before I remembered Sora just standing all alone there in the corner. "Hey Sora!" I summoned him over. To my relief, he wore a friendly expression, obviously _fake_, but hey, at least he's putting _some_ effort into all of this. I beamed as he walked over, quickly seeing our competition, and slyly wrapped an arm around my waist. I smirked slightly at our opposing couple. I grinned brightly to Sora before turning to my group of friends again.

"This," I stated clearly and proudly, "is Sora, my _boyfriend_."

My friends showered me with questions, and admirations that I had a boyfriend like Sora. (They were totally impressed by his looks) I could clearly see Sean's face, eyes wide with shock. I beamed even more; _Sora was really making our relationship act seem even more realistic!_ I averted my gaze, continuing my cheerful smiles, and merry laughs and giggles, I could see this was really having an effect on Sean, and Wendy, 'oh-so-wonderful' _Wendy_, was whispering madly about whom I was, and of course this made me pleased that she was intimidated by me.

Then, I turned to face Sean, and being the completely _changed_ person that I had become, I pretended to notice him for the first time. He stilled looked pretty much the same, short, spiked chocolate hair, and dark eyes, but he had gotten taller, so that he was an inch or two taller than me. I sighed. I guess time had done some damage to us both.

"Oh Sean!" I exclaimed, wearing a bright, friendly face, "Hey! How've you've been? This is Sora, my _boyfriend_." I made sure to say 'boyfriend' loudly enough. I'm sure his tone contained a hint of jealousy as he greeted us, "Hey, Janice...and _Sora_." I just loved the way he said "Sora," through his teeth, with a slight touch of bitterness. My lips curled once more as he continued, "This is..." he held a blank look as he trailed off. Had he really forgotten her name?

"Wendy!" she answered for him, her tone annoyed, and her voice matching: just plain annoying. My smile flattened as I said "Hi, nice to meet you," which was rudely not returned from her. The moment she turned, I rolled my eyes, which Cara nodded to as if to say _"I know."_ I snorted, and this time, not silently. "What does Sean see in a girl like her?!" I whispered angrily to them. They each shrugged; obviously they shared a quite similar opinion of her. I rolled my eyes again. Obviously, they did not seem like the perfect match.

We started walking about the small, though welcoming little village. The girls just shrieked in delight when we passed by the many accessory booths, including Nina's. The guys...well they found interest in talking to Greg...except Sean. Poor Sean had to wait on Wendy as she dragged him to the little sparkly bracelets and necklaces. I almost felt sorry for him, but, he deserved it. So finally, we left, my friends each carrying huge bagfuls of girlish garnishes. I guess accessories _are_ a girl's best friend.

I walked between Sora and Sean, and I could sense the awkward tension between the three of us. Sean would send Sora glares every now and then, and Sora would return him, seeing as he apparently wasn't one to give in. I looked from Sora to Sean, and apparently, they noticed how strange this was for me too, so they'd just glare at each other seldom. Finally, we led my friends to a restaurant, where I pulled Sora aside to talk to him.

"What's your problem?" I scolded.

"What?!" he said defensively.

"What is the deal between you and Sean?!"

"The guy keeps staring at me!" he cried, "He is obviously still in love with you!"

"What?" I cried, then looking away, "He's got a girlfriend! He's totally over me, _and so am I_!"

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever... He totally hates your so-called "boyfriend," maybe he's putting on an act too."

He began to walk in when I stopped him again, "Look Sora, I'm sorry; I guess I'm just a little uptight because this is Sean who we're acting for, and I really want this relationship act to work. And...thanks for being such a great..._boyfriend_."

"Sure."

We all sat in a rounded table, which the plushy crimson seats formed a semi circle. Sora and I sat directly in the center of our group, with the girls on my right, and the guys on Sora's left. We all laughed as we conversed and ate our burgers and fries, and sipped our sodas. This certainly was a cheerful atmosphere. I had forgotten our situation for a moment until I noticed Sean staring intently at me. I felt a blush rise up, and I instantly looked down to my food.

"Hey, you guys..." Cara started, "Remember back then, when Janice got so upset when she first found out that Sean shared her love letter with you guys, and joked around about it?"

"Shut up Cara!" I practically screamed.

"Oh yeah!" laughed Kenji.

"That was a good one!" Daniel added.

I stared at Cara, completely aghast at this new topic she had just brought up, "What was that for, Cara?" I cried horrified.

"What's the big deal, Janice?" Emily asked as she took a sip out of her soda.

"I know!" Natalie continued on, "I mean, it's _okay_, I mean, now it's just something to joke about, you guys are both in nice relationships, and it's all ancient history!"

I thought about it for a moment. "Well...I guess you're right. It's all good."

Apparently, Sean just snapped, and realized what we were talking about. "Wait, what?!" he cried, nearly spitting out his beverage, "Whoa, I did _not _joke around about it!"

"Yeah right!" Daniel piped up.

"Don't deny it, everyone already knows how we screwed around with that letter," Kenji added.

"No! It's not like that!" Sean cried out defensively.

"Aww, shut up Sean," I said, annoyed, "You broke my heart, and now you're still joking about it."

"What?!" he almost shouted, "If it was anyone's fault, it was yours!"

"MY FAULT?!?!" I stormed, completely petrifying the rest of my friends, "How is it MY fault that you showed it off to all of your friends?! Well, yeah, I guess it is my fault for sending you that letter in the first place, you big jerk!!!"

"Listen!" he shouted, his tone matching mine, "Where did you put that letter?"

I gave him a questioning look before answering, "I put it in your backpack, there were some textbooks, so I stuck it in there."

"Yeah...that's what I thought," he replied, "Those comics...they were Kenji's."

_What?! _I found that my voice had halted, the words, they just wouldn't spill out. I tried several times to attempt to ask him what he meant. Realization suddenly fell over me. "Wow, I didn't see that coming," I muttered.

"Look, this is what happened..." he started.

**(Sean's POV)**

_It was a year ago, summer break was approaching, and we were coming to the end of high school, and we had just taken our Finals. _

I plopped down in a blue chair next to the guys. This was the last week of school, and my friends and I were staying after school, just hanging out.

"Hey, Kenji!" I called to him from across the classroom, "Thanks for letting me borrow your book! I would've failed that last one for sure."

"No prob.!" he replied loosely, "Hey, do you still have it?"

"Oh, yeah," I said, suddenly remembering I hadn't returned the thick textbook to him, "Sorry, forgot to give it back, it's in my backpack."

He drew out the two inch thick blue book, when suddenly, a small, white envelope slipped out from one of the pages.

"Hey, what's this...?" he stooped down to pick it up, "Hey...you guys! Look at this! It's a love letter...from Janice!"

"Ooh Sean, she really LOVES you!" Daniel shouted out as he too read the letter.

"What're you gonna do about it?" one of the other guys asked.

"You don't actually like her do you?" Kenji asked me, and soon, all eyes were on me.

I stuttered. What was I supposed to say? I just didn't have the courage to tell my friends how I really felt about her so I said, "Well, we get along really well, and we talk a lot, but we're just friends, I'd never like her like that. Getting a letter like this doesn't change any-"

_Kenji and his big mouth. There was no time to stop it, he showed it to everyone, and they were snickering over it...I never would've guessed you were just outside, hearing every word..._

**(end Sean's POV)**

Well, we just all sat there, staring at him. "Oh...um...really?" was about all I could mutter. _I'm such an idiot..._ He sighed and shook his head as if he were talking to a totally dense person. My cheeks burned up as shock and realization hit me hard. _I'm a total idiot..._

_So much for my happy ending_

_Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

"You know, I was really happy when I got that letter," he continued on as if we were the only ones there, "I wanted to talk to you, to explain all of this back then...but you never gave me a chance to talk to you."

"Oh yeah..." I muttered, feeling like a complete moron as the truth spilled out, "Then I moved away..."

_Let's talk this over_

_It's not like we're dead_

_Was it something I did?_

_Was it something you said?_

_Don't leave me hanging_

_In a city so dead_

_Held up so high _

_On such a breakable thread_

"So you two stopped talking...because of Kenji?!" Cara cried, and then all of our venomous glares switched to him. He just shrugged sheepishly as they continued to glare at him.

Silence fell over us as everyone just looked down to their food. The tension was unmistakable. I sighed as a rush of anger flooded my veins. **_This_**_ is why the two of us weren't together right now?! **This** is why Sora is pretending to be my boyfriend, and Sean's with that slut Wendy?!_ I forced on a smile.

_You were all the things I thought I knew_

_And I thought we could be_

"Well, what's passed is passed!" I forced myself to say, "Let's stop talking about old times! We're with different people now!"

They all agreed in unison, though the anxiety between all of us did not pass by.

"Come on..." I started on a new subject, "I know this nice souvenir shop we can visit next!" Of course I didn't, but Sora surely did.

_You were everything, everything that I wanted_

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_

_And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_All this time you were pretending_

_So much for my happy ending_

_Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

We quickly got up and threw away our trash, and piled out of the automatic sliding doors. The store was just next door, lucky for us, since Sora had sent me a glare that read 'how-should-I-know-where-it-is?' I sighed in relief as my friends went back to normal as the many gifts and trinkets continued to awe them. Then, just out of the blue, Wendy walked up to me.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked, her tone different from our earlier meeting.

"Umm, sure..." I said, still suspicious of this girl.

_You've got your dumb friends_

_I know what they say_

_They tell you I'm difficult_

_But so are they_

_But they don't know me_

_Do they even know you?_

_All the things you hide from me_

_All the shit that you do_

"Please...don't take him back!" she suddenly cried out to me.

"What..?" I almost stuttered, completely blown away by this new girl crying out to me.

"Look..." she started, "I know Sean still likes you, but I've liked him for so long! I'm really not mean or a slut like everyone else thinks...I just thought Sean would like me better if I changed myself! When your friends decided to visit you...Sean asked me to be his girlfriend for the day. I was so happy."

_You were all the things I thought I knew_

_And I thought we could be_

My eyes widened when I received this new piece of information. I glanced over to Sora, and he returned my look with one that read 'I-told-you-so.'

She continued on, "So...I'm not really his girlfriend, but just if I could spend some more time with him, maybe something could happen between us..."

My voice failed to expose itself once more. _What?!_ I did _not_ see this coming. Finally, I threw on a fake smile, "Don't worry Wendy! Sure there used to be something between us, but that was a long time ago! I'm totally in love with Sora! You've got nothing to worry about!"

And that brought a real friendly smile to her face.

_You were everything, everything that I wanted_

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_

_And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_All this time you were pretending_

_So much for my happy ending_

"Ohmigosh, I'm gonna miss you so much Janice!" Cara cried as all of us embraced as the ship pulled up to take them back to the city.

"Me too!" I cried. I couldn't believe how quickly this day had passed.

Everyone gave me a hug, even Wendy! But not Sean... I guess things were still a little uptight between us.

"Bye Janice!"

"Take care!"

"Gonna miss ya!"

"See ya guys!" I shouted to them as they started boarding the ship.

I watched as Sean turned to go, then he looked back and walked back towards me. "Janice..."

_It's nice to know you were there_

_Thanks for acting like you cared_

_And making me feel like I was the only one_

_It's nice to know we had it all_

_T__hanks for watching as I fall_

_And letting me know we were done_

Sora backed away, seeing that I probably would want to be alone in this conversation. I gave Sean a sad smile, "Hey...I'm sorry about our little past...good luck with Wendy!"

"Yeah, but look, I'm sorry too...I shouldn't have lied about my feelings about you." he said, looking down.

"Yeah, whatever. See ya, 'kay?" I urged him, before my own feelings would kick in.

"But Janice©¤" he started.

"Didn't you hear me?" I interrupted, fighting back tears, "Forget it! You can go now!"

"Can't we start over, Janice?" I looked into his eyes as the words that would have made me the happiest girl in the world erupted upon me.

Memories of high school flooded my mind, when we'd walk to school together, when we'd laugh and talk, when we were both swamped in bliss. But then, a set of words totally irrelevant from the happy moments in my head rang throughout my head. _"Please...don't take him back!"_ I looked into his eyes. They told me he was sincere, that he truly meant every word. My expression changed, and I was serious. He truly looked sad, and it broke my heart to say my next few words.

_You were everything, everything that I wanted_

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_

_And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_All this time you were pretending_

_So much for my happy ending_

"No, Sean, we can't. Go on, Wendy's waiting."

"All right... Goodbye Janice..." and he was gone.

_Goodbye Sean..._

I watched with Sora by my side as he boarded the ship along with the rest of my friends. They set sail back for the city, back home. I just stood there, feeling nothing...just numb. I sighed as the ship disappeared from sight.

_You were everything, everything that I wanted_

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_

_And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_All this time you were pretending_

_So much for my happy ending_

_Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

The ruby sun set on us as we started back. "Why didn't you take his offer?" Sora asked me as we walked back to the house.

"I was already over him by the time I moved to the islands, he's nothing to me anymore..."

"Then why are you crying?"

...

_Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

**(end Janice's POV)**

****

"Thanks Sora..." she mumbled as she rubbed her red eyes.

"No prob."

She sighed as she wiped away the last of her tears, "Well, I guess I still owe you big time!" she put on a faint smile, "How 'bout I help you with Kairi?"

I sighed. _Even Janice gets it! How can Kairi be so dense?_

She laughed shakily, "Yeah, she's pretty clueless, eh?"

I let a weary sigh answer for me. "Completely."

"Don't worry, I'll help you get her!" she replied half cheerfully.

I looked away. What could Janice possibly do to help her realize what emotions I held?

"How?"

She smiled again, "Go see her."

This time, it was my turn to smile. "Thanks..."

**Author's Notes: **Finally! I'm done with this incredibly long chapter! I spent the whole day typing this up, just 'cause I had nothing better to do! Then, every now and then, I'd take breaks with the mint chocolate chip ice cream my mom and I just bought yesterday! Seriously, I'm already almost finished with it! I think the longest a container of ice cream's lasted _this_ year (since I can't remember from last year or etc.) is a week. Ahh...I finally paid a visit to our local Border's, and got four more Anime, or Manga (seriously, what's the difference?!) books! Has anyone ever read Tsubasa? Gosh it's good...and it's just the first book! (But that's just my opinion) Ugh...my brother dragged me into selling candy and etc. for him at our swim practices to earn money for him to go to Junior Olympics, and my mom said she'd buy me a CD if I did... Ugh...I would've made it last year, wait no, two years ago...if it weren't for my birthday, and aging me up to the next age division!!! Okay, now for review replies...

**Reviews**

****

**Astaldotholwen: **I'm so glad you're still sticking with this story!!! hugs her back I'm still awaiting your next update for ITDWM! Have you realized you've been deleting a lot of chapters for that? Well...maybe just those two...can't remember...

**Daggerly: **Ohmigosh, I know exactly what you mean! Sometimes, my friends and I try to see who sounds the most like her laugh! It's just funny. Hey...did they ever give Janice a last name?

**madcow863: **Wow...that girl is...creepy... Oh yeah, I meant the dream part in the beginning was a little rushed; maybe you could have added on to that to really make the reader believe the dream was real, or something like that...

**Shinimegumi Sky: **Hey, you're still here! Yeah, I just love your descriptions... I can't even remember much about 'Found but still Lost'... Yeah, I try to write longer chapters, but shorter chapters take up less of your time...so yah...

**Lvkishugs: **Hey, you'd better still talk to me every now and then... I don't like calling people, so I spend like my whole day on the computer, or eating ice cream...which is probably bad for me... Can't wait to see what you'll do with my character! Do NOT make me a Kelly worshiper!!! Lolz... Hey...does anyone still call you Barbie? Lylz!

**classengurl: **Thanks for always being so positive about my chapters! Yeah...to other people: if I ever say something like that to you, that means I don't know what else to say! Lolz. Oh yeah...every time I say that I'm too busy...usually means I'm just too lazy.

**Zanisha: **Well, Kairi escaped my torturing...for now... Gosh, you guys give me so many ideas... Oh yeah, your last review, one of my other reviewers asked me the same thing a while back, and I'll tell you the same thing I told her. Girl, do you really think I know that much about college? Lolz. Yeah, the whole college thing was just to give the story a background, and I actually had to ask a LOT of people about it to learn about the information that I already wrote in the story, so yeah...I know nothing. O.O lolz... I should've asked you about it when I started the whole college thing...

**Ohbaby;: **I am so glad you like my story that much! I'll try to update frequently, but...I usually get away with updating once a week, or two or three times...

**aliasfan: **Hey, it was fun getting those review emails from you and your sister! If you ever want to email me about anything besides writing, send it to my other address, _asiangirl312_, yeah, it's at yahoo, too.

**Apolla: **Hey, glad you like it! I know, my school's full of 'em too, but I'm just listing the two biggest ones.

**Aurora ****Australias****: **Heya! I know! I never thought I'd get soo many! Oh, I went to Border's yesterday, and guess what?! They still didn't have Kodocha number seven!!! Oh well, your loss, I already read it! Lolz.

**zilly: **Hey, I remember you! Yeah...nothing really happened... I couldn't think of anything too exciting to put...

**Kintora: **Hey, I just got your review today! Thanks for all the nice compliments! I looked at your profile, and hey, I have to go to Chinese school too! We're out now, but gosh, I hate it when I have to go! Lolz.

**Question of the Day**

****

**_What is your least favorite vegetable?_**

****

**My Answer: Tomatoes, ohmigod, last week, my mom made me drink the tomato juice, it was cold from being in the fridge, but then, it trickled down my throat (it was only a little) and ohmigosh, the smell filled up my whole head, and ugh... The only sweet tomatoes I've _ever_ eaten was once when I went with Aurora Australias to Sea plantation, and I took two, and I was like shouting, "Ohmigosh, it's sweet!!!" Lolz...**

Oh yeah, the song, "My Happy Ending," yeah, it's supposed to describe Janice and Sean, and also Kairi and Sora. Don't understand? Stick around for the next few chapters. Oh, and I'm gonna split this story into two halves, so the second half is almost definitely gonna be shorter than the first half. I think this story will be at least twenty chapters...whoa... Oh, Janet, if you're reading, yeah, sorry, I kinda forgot how you're like, so I switch around your personality a lot... Oh yeah, Amy: don't tell anyone about the previews I've told you!

Well, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and stuck to this story for so long! Hey, have you noticed it's always the songfics that are the long ones? kk, plz review!

-Lyphe


	14. Feelings Defined

_Chapter 14_

**Feelings Defined**

_Point of View: Kairi_

--

"So, don't you think bringing in the Ferris wheel is a great idea?" Candice asked me over the counter as I handed her a double scoop of chocolate ice cream in the usual crispy cone.

I filled my own cone with two scoops of plain vanilla, licking it as I returned to her, "Of course! It'll add the perfect finishing touch to make a romantic atmosphere for the couples!"

"Why can't you guys bring in a rollercoaster or something fast?" Brent asked as he emerged from the back, peeling off his transparent gloves.

"Because," Candy started, using the tone that suggested she would use some sort of scientific reasoning to answer his question, "We are expecting snow this year, unusual, yes, and we don't want anyone to feel sick; the brain freeze _and_ the hurling? A little too much for us."

I glanced over at Brent, who was keeping himself busy with his own ice cream cone, and obviously paying no attention everything Candice was saying. I smiled at his ignorance. It was late in this Friday afternoon, all of our classes were over, and since Jade had appointed and entrusted the two of us with a key, the three of us decided to loaf about the little parlor. Of course we still paid our share of the ice cream we were eating; after all, we weren't such thieves!

"So..." Brent started on a new, though closely related subject, "Any of you girls got a date for the occasion?"

This fresh topic brought up a dark blush to my face. I took a glimpse at Candy's expression. Strangely enough, she didn't seem embarrassed, or flushed in any way! In fact, she looked a bit offended...

"Brent!" she cried, her face still a sweet smile, though, "You'll get nowhere with such a loser pickup line!"

I giggled at this and pointed at him, this time, he was the one with the blush. I flashed Candice a toothy smile as we continued to joke around with Brent. We spent another half an hour listening to him trying to impress us. Yes, this was indeed a pleasant waste of my time, but at least we were having fun! Surprisingly, Candice possessed many pointers for him about winning over girls! I wonder where she learns this kind of stuff...

I sighed, as I settled down my laughter. I glanced at my light blue wrist watch. __

_6:47pm_

"Ohmigosh," I muttered as I gathered up all my belongings, and stood up to leave.

"What's wrong?" Candice asked as she finished the last of her cone.

"Oh...it is _so_ late...and we still have all those essays Kiyle wants us to write..." I mumbled as I popped my cone into my mouth...resulting in brain freeze.

"Shoot!" Brent cried as he started to pack up as well.

"What's so wrong?" Candice asked leisurely, "After all, we do have the whole weekend!"

"Okay," I started, pausing for a second, "It's easy for _you_. Selphie, Tidus, and I are planning to actually have fun this weekend!"

"That sounds nice," Brent pitched in, "We've been working so hard all this time, a little "vacation" sounds nice."

Even Candice had to admit a break of the sort seemed quite relaxing and enjoyable. So, the two of them decided to plan out something for themselves to do! Now back to our little packing situation... Of course Candice started to round up her items, for she did _not_ want to stay in this parlor, no matter how endearing and cozy it was, she was not about to stay here _alone._ So, the three of us snatched our backpacks, and were quickly out the doors. I glanced once more at my watch.

_6:52pm___

Goodness, it was late. I sighed in despair as the thought of staying up all night to finish my homework passed through my mind. Candice bid us farewell, as her dwellings led her towards the opposite direction Brent and I went.

"See you tomorrow!" I called to her as we headed off.

"Later!" she called back to me with a couple of energetic waves.

So Brent and I headed off our own way, knowing that a turn in the sidewalk would soon split us too. Our little journey was silent, but we never stopped grinning. I averted my gaze to the beach just to our left. The sun was just about to set. I sighed as memories of the old days loitered about my mind. Sora and me...me and Sora...it was all the same, it was all in the past. Suddenly Brent smiled goofily at me and led me off toward the sandy shores.

"Hey," I started, curious where he was leading me, "Where're we going?"

"The beach obviously!" he answered with the goofy grin Sora would usually give me to melt my heart.

He went faster, and I followed, my pace matching his. Soon, we were running, and I was beside him, feeling free, and as if I had just left all my troubles in a cloud of dust. We were children, frolicking about the sand, not a care in the world, just knowing that it was fun and I now resided in bliss. We finally slowed down as he led me over the pier, my shoes gently _clanking_ on the wooden planks of the dock. He plopped down, and I went down with him, plastered on our faces wide grins.

_I laughed, and I was happy. My heart felt content, everything felt alright. There we sat, two close friends watching an amazing day come to an end. The ruby sun slowly sunk into the crystal sea, the sky tainted with colors of the rainbow. Pink and purple clouds littered the lovely sky. The gentle saltwater breezes whisked through my hair, setting off the many strands of auburn flying in all directions. I gently tucked the strands behind my ear. Perhaps this was my happiness..._

We looked at each other. I beamed, and he returned the look. I shivered slightly as the cold breeze sent shivers up my spine. He wrapped his arm around he, and I was grateful for his concern and sweetness. I sighed happily as we watched the sunset together.

"Isn't it beautiful?" he asked me, his tone hushed.

"Yeah..." I answered dreamily, my voice low, too.

So this was what he had brought me all the way out here to see. It was truly a magical moment. I felt as if my childhood fantasies, long forgotten, were slowly rekindling. Perhaps my college fantasies weren't just stupid wishful dreams; maybe there really was something wonderful out there for everyone...

"Kairi..." he started, then trailed off.

"Hmm?"

He leaned over, and his lips locked with mine. My eyes widened slightly as our lips met. _What was he doing?_ Suddenly, I broke away, gasping.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, completely surprised.

He turned a deep shade of red, "I-I..."

I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice halted, and no words would expose themselves. The silence cut deep between us. The tension was unmistakable. We both looked away. _How could this happen?_

"Look, I'm sorry Kairi. I've always liked you as more than just a friend, and today, I was sure you felt the same!" he spilt out, turning away from him.

"Brent..." I sighed, "I do like you, I like you a lot! But—"

"But you have someone waiting for you on the other islands," he finished for me.

Images of Sora appeared in my mind, "No! No, it's just..." I searched my brain for a reason, "I don't think I'm ready for a relationship of this sort."

He nodded, though I doubt he believed any of that crap. But it was partly true. But...would this affect our friendship?

"Hey, Brent?" I asked, "Will anything change between us...?"

He shook his head, "No, nothing will change. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way."

He started to walk away. "No!" I cried, standing up and following him, "You didn't do anything wrong. You were just showing how you felt...and I think...maybe I should be a little more open...more like you."

He smiled, and it hurt me to see that I've saddened him, "Later Kai."

I sighed. Just a second ago, I was sitting in absolute happiness, and now, it was all gone, just like that. What was wrong with me?! Didn't I say myself that I wanted to come and fall in love with some guy on this island? Brent was my friend, and I definitely like him...but I just couldn't... I feel as if that unfinished business, the unfinished business from when I first moved to this island, is returning to claim me.

I sighed as I began to walk home again, my spirits low, and I was defiantly _not_ happy. I had done the right thing... I looked back at the direction Brent had gone. He was but a mere dot now. I sighed once more before lifting my backpack out of the sand I was dragging it in, and pulling it onto my back. Home sounded heavenly right now...

_Little did I know, in the shadows was a silhouette, watching everything, and though nothing was really wrong right now, a little mix-up confusion would soon lead to a big misunderstanding..._

--

**Author's Notes: **Gosh, this chapter was confusing for me to write. I started out just saying that Kairi had a lot of homework that she had to finish. But then, I realized, since it was gonna be the same day Sora and Janice met her friends, and so this was kinda like _'Meanwhile...' _then it would make no sense for her to worry, since she had the whole weekend! Then, I thought, _make it Thursday!_ Then it's like, well, _would Sora really wait almost a week to see his beloved Kairi?_ Then...I thought, make it Saturday! Then, it's like _I just said they were hanging out after school and still, why would Kairi worry about homework? _And so...I had to add in all that bull about planning them something to do, and etc. But...maybe this'll all work out! Ha...you guys thought I'd tell you guys what would happen when Sora told Kairi he loved her, and all was right in the world, huh! Well, I just wish you could see me laughing right now...

Yeah, you know, when I first thought of this whole story idea, it was a lot simpler, and I thought it'd be a lot shorter than this. Basically, it was chapter one: intro, chapter two: bring in Janice, chapter three: they pack/they go on the ship, chapter four: the whole Sora-can't say-'I-love-you'-incident, chapter five: Kairi moves in, chapter six: ...it's kinda where we are right now!

So...I kinda added in a lot of unneeded scenes... I just knew Kairi and her new, unknown friends would have to hold a winter carnival, and I had to figure out a reasonable excuse for why she should! So, I gave her the best professor anyone could ask for! And...I didn't plan on even bringing in Janice's old friends into the picture when I first got this idea, I didn't even plan on putting in Janice! I just figured, I'll throw Sora in with some sluty girl, then, I thought, _hey, if Kairi and the new girl are friends, I can really make this thing more affective!_

Then, I just threw in Sean, because Janet (Janice based on) –'s boyfriend is Sean (but ohmigod, the dude is like three feet tall!!!) and Wendy was this girl he supposedly had a crush on. When we were all talking about her liking Sean, she completely denied it, and then...one week later, she emails me, and says she broke up with her 'Myrtle the turtle' boyfriend (it's a long story...) and says she's totally in love with Sean. But anyways...in the end, she likes him; he likes her, everyone's happy.

Let's see...and Candice looks nothing like the Candy I actually know, and I have no idea what Astaldotholwen looks like, so I thought a little creativity was in need!

Okay...gotta stop talking... Okay, now for reviewer replies... Oh yeah, it'd be a whole lot easier to talk to you if you actually leave a name!

**Reviews:**

**Zanisha: **Hey...if I were you, you'd get a cookie! Hot chocolate...sounds nice, but I'm really burning up right now, so ice sounds heavenly... BUT unfortunately my mom just dumped the rest of our ice into her drink! But she gave me a cube! But I just finished it... Gosh, I'm talking about ice...

**madcow863:** Ah... I've gotta say it's so much fun being a writer...though it's kinda hard to figure out what should go next... But the great thing about being a writer, is that you can be as evil as you want, and leave cliffies right there, out of the blue!!! Hey, so what's going on with _your_ fic?

**Ohbaby;: **Oh whoops, I meant I'll probably update two or three times a week, but then again, if I'm lazy, or don't feel like writing, I'll probably update only once. Hehe...it's so much fun to mess around with Kairi and Sora's lives! I bet you guys all thought Sora would see Kairi in this chapter, then tell her his feelings, and she'd say she'd feel the same! Well, I have a couple more twists in mind...

**Kintora: **Maybe it is, maybe it isn't! I have to learn the traditional Chinese, and it's a huge pain to remember all the words, and what's a even bigger pain is that we have a test every week, wait, actually every time I go, since it's just once a week. In the beginning, I just studied on the last day, and I did just fine on the tests, I got an A- for the first semester for probably the first time! But...studying is a pain, and I stopped caring about my grades...so I got horrible scores for my mid terms and finals, and...I got my traditional B...

**zilly: **I wonder who isn't a fan of SoKairi! Riku and Kairi are just wrong! Well, Janice may provide more than just plain advice to Sora, as you will see in the next chapter! Wait, actually, nothing big's gonna happen in the next chapter...

**Infrared Ray: **Hey, you're back! Thanks for the heads up, I changed it. Hey, I checked out your profile, and gosh, so many question marks! (well...not _that_ many, but still...)

**Astaldotholwen: **But seriously, what's the difference between graphic novels, anime, and manga?! Really hope your finger heals fast! So the tip is just gone...? I have a sudden urge to rip my hair out... Gosh, you know when I first say an author sign out 'ja ne' I thought, "Oh, I guess her name is Jane!" Okay, please tell me what it means! I feel like such an idiot saying this, but seriously, it's killing me!!!

**classengurl: **I know exactly what you mean! Some of the authors are so obvious, it's practically written all over them, "This will happen next..." and I completely lose interest in their stories, but...I don't see those very often anymore! You know, when I first started reviewing anonymously, I always got so psyched out whenever I was mentioned!

**Lvkishugs: **Hey girl! Yei! I got a dedication from you! Hmm...if no one calls you Barbie...then I'll just have to keep the tradition alive! _Hey Barbie! How ya doin' Barbie?_ Lolz.

**Shinimegumi Sky: **Your review just made my day! Well, your writing skills sure seem different compared to Fallen Rain (in a good way). Thanks for sticking with this!

**HisLight & aliasfan: **Yeah, I'm doing you two both together (just this once) 'cause... Have you ever noticed how similar you two are? -smiles creepily- HisLight likes 'My Happy Ending,' and so does aliasfan! You both hate the same veggies! You both like the same ice cream! You're both addicted to Avril Lavigne's songs! (not the same ones, but whatever) Gosh...so similar!

**Aurora Australias**Hmm...maybe sometimes I should leave you out on purpose! Whoops, my bad, but seriously, it's been so long since I've been there! Ahh...the future of this fiction...is information that I know...and you don't...and it's gonna stay that way!

**Apolla: **Oh, at my school, the cafeteria serves these squiggly french fries (that I never eat) with our lunch, so my friends take them for me, and my one friend, Marissa hates ketchup, and my other friend, Jen doesn't, so it's funny to see Jen defend herself from Mari's wrath with a packet of ketchup!

--

Whoohoo! I've hit 100 reviews! (and over!) Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story! I never thought I'd ever get this far!

**♥-**aww, isn't this heart thing sweet? This is for all you guys!

**♥ Lyphe**


	15. Broken

_Chapter 15_

**Broken**

_Point of View: Sora_

--

_Run..._

_Faster..._

_Don't look back..._

_And I obeyed..._

I boarded the ship without a second thought. It was practically empty, for tourists didn't usually visit in the fall, and students usually don't travel about the islands much during weekends, or really at all. I walked the dock's railing, my hands leisurely hanging over them, and the rest of my body just leaning, the white bars being my only support. I looked into the tranquil sea of blue. My reflection glared back at me. I was in no mood to smile, no mood to really show any emotion, but I showed anger, sadness, and confusion.

I had taken Janice's advice. It took me a while to get over to Valencia Island, but it would be worth the wait. I was going to see Kairi, and tell her I loved her. _It had been prolonged long enough. _I'd tell her, despite what she might say, and then everything would be alright, because I knew she loved me too. But maybe I was wrong...

--

-flashback-

_I walked down the platform, no luggage in hand, for I wouldn't be staying here. The salty breeze ruffled my chestnut hair as I looked around. I felt ready. It hadn't been too long ago when I had met Janice's friends; it hadn't been too long ago since she told me to go see Kairi. I did as I was told, and I had quickly boarded the ship just in time to take me to her island. It would be an hour ride over, but I didn't care how long it took, as long as I saw her. I was determined._

_6:00 pm___

_I wandered about the little island, seeking any signs that might determine where she was. Perhaps if by chance I might find Selphie or Tidus, and they might know. I walked on. This island was really different from __Pearl__, and our own home island. It was more metropolitan, while __Pearl__ is edging more towards the sort of developing village kind of island, and our home island looks as an island in the brinks of civilization._

_The sidewalks were bustling with people, going their own individual way to who knows where. The natives seemed to really know their way around, while I was just drifting about in the hopes of finding her by some sort of miracle. I sighed. This indeed did seem quite pointless, coming all the way out here, just to be disappointed. But nevertheless, I trudged onwards. I hadn't come all this way just to go home empty-handed. I was going to find her, no matter how long it took, and no one was going to stop me. I was determined._

_I sighed as I reached the end of yet another sidewalk. There was no chance she could be out here now, it was... I checked my watch. _

_6:52pm___

_I sighed once more in despair. I passed by a little shop. Looking up, I read the colorful letterings. "Robinson's..." An ice cream parlor. I walked on, not giving a care in the world what shops or stands there were. They were nothing to me right now. All that mattered was Kairi._

_I stuck my hands into the pockets of my jacket. The wind sent unwanted shivers up my spine, and I was grateful for my jacket...that Janice had forced me into taking along. My attire was black. I wore fingerless gloves, black with white crosses, forming an 'x.' My jacket was short sleeved and hooded, also black, lined with white. I wore a navy blue shirt inside it all, and the same chain still resided around my neck. I had stopped wearing my cheerful bright colors a while back, when I was back in Kingdom Hearts, and I guess it just stuck._

_I groaned exasperatingly as my hands seized my spiky hair, attempting to rip it all out. This was so frustrating! How could I believe, how could I so easily deceive myself into believing I could find her in this city with so many people? Well, it's called hope. There was still a glint of hope that I could still find her out here in this wide world, and as long as there was still hope, I would still be out here, looking for her._

_The rosy sun dipped into the platinum sea, a set of watercolor paints spilled across the sky, and fluffy clouds of orange and pink littered the pretty sky. I sighed as I looked at the lovely scenery. I remembered those days when we were fourteen, when I'd take Kairi all the way out to the pier just to watch the sunset with her. The beach—wait... I averted my gaze to the sea._

_The beach..._

_If she really is out at this time...then she would have to be at the beach! There is no other place she could be, she has to be here! My pace quickened to a full sprint. My steps were slow and clumsy as soon as I stepped foot in the angelic sand. I looked around. No one was here. I took another step forward. Two outlines caught my eye. There she was! There was Kairi! I started forward, I had started to call her name but then something made me stop. _

"No..."

_There she was, **kissing** another guy. My voice immediately halted, and I felt it wither away. I couldn't believe it. There she was. There was the girl I had come all the way out here to find, and it turns out she already has someone. I turned away. This was no place for someone like me. We really were an item of the past. A single tear trickled down my cheek. I harshly brushed it away._

-end flashback-

--

Angry blue eyes glared back up at me. I felt forgotten, no, wait, I _was_ forgotten. She had someone now, someone who's taken my place in her life. How could this happen? This wasn't supposed to be how things ended! I wasn't supposed to be left alone at the end of this day!

"You weren't supposed to replace me!" I screamed back to the island as it grew smaller and smaller, gradually becoming nothing but a mere dot.

"Do you hear me?!" I cried out to the sunset, to the ocean, "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Then, I just broke down in tears. I felt cold, empty. Like the embers that had kept me alive had been blown out. There was nothing left for me in this world. I wanted so desperately to just hurl myself into the sea. I wanted to die, and leave her to mourn for me...if she even had a heart left to shed tears for me.

Had she really forgotten me? Had she really forgotten about our promises? Our cherished memories? Perhaps...

I was nothing to her. _I was just..._

I wiped away the rest of my tears that littered my face. The ship pulled closer to Pearl.

_...a memory..._

--

I slammed the door behind me as I entered my dwellings. I stomped into my room, not caring how loud I was. Once there, I slammed my door shut, and locked it. I closed the curtains, and blocked out any signs of light. The sun had set on me.

I threw myself onto the bed. My eyes closed. I've never felt so alone, so betrayed. I felt as if the world would stop turning, just on account of me. I felt...I felt..._broken_. I felt as if I were a glass cup, not quite so accidentally dropped against the cold floor, and shattered. Then, I was just carelessly swept up, and dumped into the trash. Yes...I was junk...

A knock came from outside my door.

"Sora?"

It was Janice.

"Sora? What happened? Can I come in?"

I groaned, exasperatingly, "No. I just want to be alone."

"But—" she started.

"Please, just leave me alone," I mumbled.

And she listened me. Her voice failed to return, to remind me of the pain of the reality, but in all truths, I was trapped in another dimension of lies and deceits.

I looked at my drawer. _I still had her good luck charm..._

--

Janice stood outside of Sora's door. She didn't know exactly what, but something had gone terribly wrong, and she had to fix it somehow.

_What happened, Sora?_

She quietly walked back down the stairs.

--

**Author's Notes:**

Guess what?! I finally found this fiction, that I've been looking for, for like, a year! I remembered when I first found this sight, I had read this story, that I thought was really sweet, even though it didn't get a lot of reviews. I just couldn't find it, so I kinda gave up for a while.

Then...day before yesterday, I looked up her penname, or at least the next one on the list, Witch Baby Nikki, and this girl had written a KH one, but I couldn't remember anything about the summary. It was titled, "At the End of the Stars," and I decided to look anyways, and then, in there, it said 'by Witch Baby,' and there I was saying, "Ohmigosh, this is it!" I so loved that story back then! It's actually really sweet! I remember feeling sad because I never finished reading the story...but it turns out, the story was never finished, nor was the sequel ever written, which is a shame, but I guess sooner or later you'll reach a point where you just run out of time or interest in writing.

Ooh, and yesterday, I also found this nice Card captor Sakura site! I used to love the show when it was on! Ahh...reflecting back makes me feel old...lol.

Damn...I forgot Lvkishugs knew where I live...

SO...the person in the shadows was Sora, oh yeah, and thanks for the cookie, Zanisha! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys are so uber nice!

Ooh...I'm currently surfing the web, and I feel so evilly happy! Ahh...remember that girl I told you guys about? That gave me her names, then just took them all back? I see she's getting stressed out, eh? Aww...poor girl, a little busy? A lil' stressed? MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! -cough- Hmm...didn't I say I was over it? Well, you guys should know, I'm quick get over things...but I hold grudges. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Okay...must calm down...fast. Ooh...I'm seriously starting to feel evil... I have a sudden urge to laugh until I will be considered by all to be totally insane......and so it starts. -starts laughing- And I'm seriously laughing; if anyone saw me right now, you'd say, "Umm...are you alright...?"

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Okay, I'm starting to scare myself... And yet I'm still laughing... Oh look, I have all these goosebumps... Ohmigosh, I'm still laughing... Okay, I've seriously lost it... Okay, I'm in no condition to do reviews today... -still laughing-

Oh, and HisLight, there should be a button in your program under the drop down window 'insert' and it says 'symbols,' well, at least it does in mine... God this is a long author's note...

Okay, **question:** are there any bugs or insects that freak you out? (I'm not doing my regular 'question of the day' format just this once...cause I don't feel like it)

**My answer:** Just remember this: don't ever dig up a worm and hang it in front of my face; don't ever find a spider and let it loose on me. Some night this week, there was a spider on my little (I don't know what to call it)...it's almost like a bookshelf next to my bed, and there was a little tiny spider on this Border's bag I never got rid of, and I told my mom, just 'cause I'm terrified, and then, my mom **forced** me to get a Kleenex and squish it, and I kept saying, "Why can't you do it?" and you know what she said?! She said if she squished it, she'd press the squished spider on my head!!! So we made a deal, that I squish it, and she throws it away! And, finally I do it, and then I'm screaming, "MOM!!! MOM!!!" and I'm just bawling like a baby. Yes, I'm that terrified of bugs! And you know what else? When we were in second grade, my friends and I would dig in the grass, and there'd be all these worms, and sometimes, my friend would take one, and chase me with it!!! Sad, yes...

Ugh...my stomach's starting to feel queasy from all the laughing...

This has got to be the longest author's note I've ever written that's full of bull! Okay, plz review!

-me

(PS: ****

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**Poll:**

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**Ten years from now, if I asked you about ffnet, what would be your reaction?**

**A. I'm still writing on it!**

**B. It was fun while it lasted.**

**C. I still go on to see today's fictions sometimes.**

**D. It was a waste of time! I hated it!**

**E. What's ffnet?**

Me? I'd probably answer B.)

Happy Independence Day, everyone!


	16. Protective

_Chapter 16_

**Protective**

_Point of View: Janice_

My tranquil eyes drifted over to the dainty little curtains. They were nice to look at, the colors light and soothing. Little pink buds dotted the sky blue and white background of it. And it was see-though. My hand ascended up to the window by my bed, my fingers grasping the cotton material with ease. I released. A gentle breeze sent the fabric flying about. I sighed peacefully.

Sunshine poured into my room. Quite reluctantly, I brought myself to stand up, and stretch. A yawn escaped my mouth as I made my way downstairs. This was no morning wakeup, it was a lovely autumn noon, and I was currently home during my break. I had another class in an hour, my basketball _class_, to be exact, though I really don't consider it to be a 'class.' I have fun in this course, and despite how positive I try to seem in my other classes, they are all a bore. Though, my other two classes are enjoyable in their own ways, I _am_ glad to get them over with in the mornings.

I opened the front door, Sora on the other side, just reaching for the knob. I grinned as I stepped aside to let him in. He always came back at this time. Sora just walked past me, silent. Strange.

"What?" I asked, "No hug, or 'Hey Janice!' today?"

He just walked up the stairs into his room without another word. I sighed. He's been acting like this all morning, but I just assumed it was something he'd shake off. I strolled into the kitchen for a glass of water. Last night, he had told me all of the events of that evening. I can't say I wasn't in complete shock when he finished his story.

Kairi..._kissing_ another guy? I mean, she just doesn't seem like the one who'd kiss anyone, if not Sora! Those two are just so perfect for each other; I can't believe Kairi could really find someone to take Sora's place! Well, perhaps they really were never in the same place. Perhaps Sora really was the only one dwelling in the past, maybe Kairi never really had strong feelings for him. Maybe this is just for the best.

Sora and I walked around the school campus. Our last classes had just finished, a few minutes prior. I wiped a droplet of sweat from my forehead. Goodness, practice could really take the life out of me! I leaned slightly on Sora as we emerged from the building, my balance relying partly on him. I started an easy conversation with him as we walked past the many other students. He finally started talking to me again, of course, I could sense he was obviously still heartbroken, but he was putting up an effort to get over her. I respected him for that.

"I'm tired, Sora!" I whined.

"What do you want me to do? Carry you?" Sora joked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"That'd be great, thanks."

Of course Sora ignored my biddings, and left me to tread on, _weak and helpless._ Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating quite a bit, but he could have at least offered to carry my stuff! I slumped lifelessly on him, a weary sigh escaping my mouth.

I groaned loudly at an attempt to provoke him, or at least get some of the life back into him. Usually, his response would be some sort of tease, like, "Ah, tough, sucker!" or at least something to that effect. I groaned louder. This should get on his nerves sooner or later...

_Groan._

"Shut up."

"Why?"

"'Cause."

"'Cause why?"

"'Cause I said so."

"And...?"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

"Why?"

Well, that went on for a while. I got him talking to me...if you call that talking... But that loosened him up a bit. He managed to smile a little and laugh...but shakily. Well...I'll just annoy him until he's back to normal! He can't stay like this for too long, not with me on the case!

We walked on home, leaving the campus grounds behind. _Footsteps. _Hmm... I looked back. Was someone following us? There was nobody that I could see. We were already one or two blocks away from the school...and I'm pretty sure no one, well at least no one I knew of lived in this neighborhood...

I peeked at Sora, apparently he hadn't heard it. Maybe it was just me... I shrugged off the feeling.

"So..." I started a new subject, hoping to break the silence between us, "You want me to help you find a girlfriend?" I smiled sweetly, so not to offend him in anyway.

He grinned goofily, "Well, you have good taste in girls?"

"Well..." I trailed off...then suddenly, it didn't sound right, "Hey!"

So, I guess our little walk was filled with laughs. _Footsteps. _I was not imagining things. I whirled around, as if I were some sort of secret agent, off to catch the baddie in the act. I guess I thought it was a mugger or rapist. Memories of Greg filled my mind...

Another college girl stood there, her hair a strawberry blonde, defiant eyes hazel. A few random freckles dotted her cheeks. Ahh...I recognized this girl from passing her a few times in the halls. But, I didn't care who she was, just that she was stalking us!

"Okay, who are you, and why are you following us?!" I demanded.

"Oh, I know her, she has all the same classes as me," Sora stepped in.

"Oh..." I mumbled, a blush rising onto my cheeks.

"Yeah..." she replied, looking at me as if I were crazy, "I was 'stalking' you 'cause I wanted to tell you something, Sora."

Okay, I don't give who she is, I just don't like her. Sora looked like he wouldn't mind if he were on another planet. I rolled my eyes. This girl slightly reminded me of the Wendy I hated...

"Look, we don't have all day," I stated rudely when she paused.

She glared at me. "Well, all of my friends thought I should tell you this—"

"That's _very_ nice," I interrupted, once again, curtly, "Are you done yet?"

She rolled her eyes and ignored me, and directed her attention once more to Sora, acting as if I weren't there. "Well, I have this huge crush on you, and you know, we'd make such a cute couple! So, how 'bout it?"

I choked, and almost threw up, as Sora just stood there, speechless. He started to speak, and to my horror, it didn't sound like a rejection tone.

"Breanne, I—"

"Actually, it's Brittany," she smiled oh-so-sweetly with a flick of her hair.

"Okay," Sora said, not really caring, "I'd lo—"

"I'm sorry," I quickly cut in, "But Sora's kind of _taken_, too bad!"

"Oh..." she replied, disapproval in her tone, "By you?"

"What?!" I cried.

"Good luck," she said bitterly to Sora, and walked off without a second word.

Well, that leaves two of us speechless. I couldn't help but hate her. Gosh, what would've happened if I had let Sora say 'yes?' I know he's all heartbroken and stuff right now, but that's still no reason to go out with someone like _her_! I averted my gaze to the cement sidewalk, my face burning up. I could feel Sora's stare on me, and the shade on my face deepened. I hadn't meant it like _that_!

"What was that for?" he asked, his tone slightly angered.

"What was what for?" I turned the question around at an attempt to save myself, as I hurried down the street

"You were the one who said I should get a girlfriend, and now this really pretty girl that I really like, whom I might be meant to be with wants to get with me, and you turn her down _for me_!" Sora answered, his pace quick, and expression irritated.

"That you _really like_?!" I shouted back at him, my steps halting, "You didn't even know her name!"

"So?" Sora shot back, "We could've gotten to know each other better!"

"Oh please!" I cried, aggravated, "The only reason you wanted to be her boyfriend is 'cause you just can't get over the fact that Kairi's moved on, that you'd just take any lousy girl! You've become so blind, that you can't even see what kind of person she is! You're just being such a child!"

"Oh, am I the only one being childish?!" he cried, frustrated, "What about you and Sean? You say you're in love with him, yet you show nothing for him, and you know what? He doesn't care for you either! You know why? 'Cause he's got Wendy!"

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I thought of him. Anger rose inside of me and I glared hard at Sora. He had no right to say that, he had no right to say he ever had feelings for Kairi; he really was being a child. No, not maybe, they never were an item! They were over years ago! He is being a child for holding onto that! And he is being an idiot for insulting me.

My palms were sweaty; they had formed a tight fist. I was so angry...so angry at him that I couldn't even say anything. My breath was shaky and heavy. Now, I was really burning up, but not of embarrassment, _oh no_. I dug my nails into my hands, cutting in so deep, blood almost crept out. I have never been so outraged in my whole life!

Sora's face softened a bit as he realized what he had just said. I gritted my teeth together, my head slowly shaking as I backed away, slowly. He had no right to bring Sean into this. _That was just the last straw..._

"Janice, I'm—"

I never gave him a chance. I didn't want to hear his words right now, they were just bull. I took off in a full out sprint. My feet were on fire, and showed no signs of slowing down soon. My tears finally erupted, the full content of his words exploding upon me.

_"He doesn't care for you either! You know why? 'Cause he's got Wendy!"_

He knew exactly why I'm not with him right here, right now, and yet he's found a way to use that against me. I could hear his quick footsteps behind me in pursuit. I quickened my pace.

"Janice!"

I felt him grab my wrist. My strength gave out, and I just broke down crying. My energy just vanished, and I could feel myself sinking down to my knees. Sora caught me. My entire balance relied on him now. I wanted him to let me go, to let me sink into the earth, and just be alone, but I knew he wouldn't. He held me tight, and I pressed my face into his chest. How cruel the world seemed right now...

**Author's Notes: **I know, I know, took me long enough! Yeah, I make you guys wait all this time...for _this?! _Yeah, this was one of my 'extra chapters' which have practically no effect on the final outcome of it all. (Sorry, Brittany, had to make you bad!) But I swear, the next chapter will be MUCH better! No, I have NOT been busy, I have been lazy. nods proudly Oh, well, amidst all my laziness, I've thought of a few more ideas! But...I don't really know what to do with them... Thanks for everyone who's been nice enough to review my newest one shot, "Caught in the Past!" I got so many nice reviews! I got a lot of 'that was beautiful!'-s! And I got a lot of 'poor Sora!'-s for the last chapter! I'll be doing those reviews here too.

Ooh...I finally got this CD, JoJo, that I've been looking for, for weeks! They're always out at the stupid store! I'm so inspired by the songs! It makes me want to be nice to my stories for once! But...it kind of makes me want to put in more angst! chuckles evilly

**"Caught in the Past" reviews**

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**daea: **I'm so glad you liked it! Yeah...sometimes it _is_ hard to find something good to read, but currently, I have such a great selection to choose from!

**Zanisha: **Whoohoo! I'm going on Zanisha's favorites! Lolz, you're reviews are always so nice!

**Daggerly: **Yeah! I just wrote the best one shot Dagger-lie's ever read! (that's gonna be your nickname till I think of a better one) You've NEVER cried? Gosh, I cry over a lot of stuff! Movies...books...'Maiselph'... Oh yeah, I'm evil! Yayz! I've made it on Daggerly's favorites too!

**Astaldotholwen: **Yayz-ness! I am so glad you liked it! You even mentioned me in your own one shot! Personally, I don't believe in ghosts. They are make believe creatures used for movies and stories. Lolz. So sorry about your friend! Sorry if I made you sad about her!

**madcow863: **Aww...that's gotta suck for you! Well, at my school, all the guys like the stupid sluts who wear lots of makeup, carry purses just for the heck of it, wear frickin' short skirts, and just look...evil... thinking of Kelly Humphrey But...I've got lots of guy friends, so I don't mind. Yeah, I didn't cry either, but then again, I'm the one who wrote it... Well, yeah, I'm not one to cry either, but I've never made anyone cry, so this is kinda cool!

**Aree: **So glad you liked! It took me...like two or three days to write, so I think I probably could've done better, but I'm still proud of my work!

**Lvkishugs: **Yeah, that's supposed to be her daughter, come on, you don't really expect Kairi to come back to life after she died, right? Ah...I'm never gonna get to finish MiaB...

**classengurl: **I made it on another favorites list! Well, I don't think my writing skills are improving...I think they just get better randomly... o.O

**Nilladriel: **Hey, you really sound like you understand this weird one shot completely! Lolz, Riku hater? Yeah...he's kinda evil.

**HisLight: **Mwhahahaha! I'm a good writer, so I can make all you readers miserable, and start to cry!!! Lolz, jk. Ooh...vet? I have a dog...but I'm always so busy/lazy to play with him, and the neighbor's dog seriously hates me!!! But, my dog seriously wants to kill my friend Amy! He's never hated anyone so much!

**silentchill13: **Yeah! I made you speechless! No! I'm humble! Really!

**Kintora: **Aw, lucky, Hawaii? Yeah, I just love killing off people! Lolz, jk. Yeah...it was a bit rushed, and yes, that was their daughter, and how Kairi dies is one of the mystical mysteries of the world! Oh, I don't know, maybe she died of childbirth, maybe she died of some disease, maybe she just died randomly! Yeah, I don't know... x.X

**Mikari: **Yeah, I'm not really one to cry either...or one to laugh, but once I start, sometimes it's hard to stop... I don't cry over much, but I get saddened over a LOT. o.O

Gosh, I've been playing DDR all this week, and haven't improved a bit! Yesterday, I spent an hour or so with my old hula hoop from like five years ago, practicing my own tricks that I just made up, and now here I'm sitting before my computer...hair a mess...but it looks kinda cool! Last night, my brother and I did workout mode together, and it was so boring, and then, he just started jumping up and down on the left and right arrows, and before long, I was joining him! I have to admit, his was more fun, and we burned more calories...until I started sitting on the couch and just stomping on the arrows... Now for the regular reviews...

**Reviews**

**Zanisha: **Yeah...they _are_ long... Well, starting today, I'm gonna try to cut back! But all the review replies are making it long anyways!

**Shinimegami Sky: **Yeah, I might write books during my free time in the future... Don't worry, I'd read your books any day! Ooh...really like your art!

**classengurl: **Fourth of July...I did NOTHING. We stayed home, I was on the computer most of the time, 'cause I was soo BORED!!! And what else sucked was that we could hear the fireworks soo loudly from the rest of the city, but we couldn't see a thing!!! I spent my time writing a themed one shot...which I never posted...

**Apolla: **Yeah, we had to de-bug our house too, all these professionals came, and we had to stay in a hotel for three days, and when we came back, they were all dead...but now they are back!!! I swear they want revenge or something... So many bug bites...

**Lvkishugs: **Just wondering...are you still in Utah? Oh yeah, SORAxKAIRI FOREVER!!!

**Astaldotholwen: **Yeah, I'll probably be on this site for another few years... Ooh...love your new one shots! No!!! I'm gonna miss ITDWM!!!!!

**Ohbaby: **Yeah...this chapter was a lil' short too... Well, I'll probably make the next one longer!

**Daggerly: **Yeah, I'm a Friends freak too! Must get eighth season... Friends FOREVER!!!

**HisLight: **Yeah, glow in the dark is cool! But...I've never seen those bugs live... I don't think how I was 'laughing' can really count as actually 'laughing'... More like the 'sound of the insane!' CriesYou're gonna be gone for ten days!!! Gonna miss ya!

**zilly: **Yeah...I probably wouldn't be here either...but since my profile will always be here, I'd probably write something out of boredom, or insanity, or something like that... Yeah, Sora just assumes the worst!

**madcow863: **Hey, you're back! Thought you didn't like me anymore! pouts The consequences of my actions...gosh...that's a thinker... o.O Lolz... Hey, how's it going with your story? I haven't seen an update in a while! Okay, scratch that, I haven't seen an update in a month! Well, we haven't exactly been updating MiaB or TPW either... coughAmanda!cough

**silentchill13: **Yes...you shall die...and I shall be victorious!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! cough Anyways...glad you like! Yeah, I'm random too! Okay, I'm not, but I can be a good..._actress_! (my replacement word for 'liar')

**Kintora: **Gosh, if you're stressing now, you'll be going crazy once I start on part two of this story! Hmm...maybe I'll kill off Sora...hmm? Oh, I didn't say anything! Yeah, the simpler form is supposed to be easier...but I'm kinda more attached to the _long, harder_ way... Just wondering...in your class, are you 1) the amazing gifted and talented one who aces all the impossibly tough quizzes, 2) the normal one, who gets good and bad grades randomly, or 3) the totally clueless one that barely understands what the heck the teacher's saying? Up to last year, I was number three...then I started studying this year...then I thought, "Aw, screw this!" and I stopped studying... o.O But...I still got a B average!

**Neko=Miko-Kagome: **Glad you like it so far, don't know for how long you'll think that! Yeah...I try to update often...but I'm starting summer school next week, so I might be busy...

Gosh...the summer heat is KILLING ME!!! Is this the same anywhere else, or is it just me?

Wow...this really _is_ late... Well, besides being lazy, (Ahh! No! Don't kill me!) I've been working on 'Caught in the Past,' which I spent about a week or so on, until I was finally satisfied, then I took another couple of days off... And recently, I've been working on another one shot idea I've had for a while, but it's coming along quite slowly, I can't seem to write it... Hmm? Writer's block? No! I shall never get writer's block! NEVER!!!

Okay, well, much love, everyone! Please review!


	17. A Forgotten Promise

_Chapter 17_

**A Forgotten Promise**

_Point of View: Kairi_

"Ohmigosh, he wanted you to be his _girlfriend?!_" Candace asked, quite taken aback.

"Yes, and shh!" I whispered madly, a deep blush rising on my cheeks.

It was a lovely Sunday morning. Selphie, Tidus, and I had spent all day yesterday sight seeing, just letting loose, and having fun. It was quite enjoyable, though I just couldn't get my mind off _things_... I had finally gotten through to Candace over the phone, and well, I just _had _to cry to her for help on a topic that's been clouding my mind since Friday evening. _Brent._ Of course, I had whined to Selphie, but she couldn't seem to be able to find a solution for me, so I asked Candace to meet me at the parlor, since it was our day off, and chat about it; I didn't want to discuss this issue over the phone.

"Wow, I knew he liked you, but not like this!" Candace continued on, flabbergasted.

"I know, I know!" I cried out in a rather whiny voice.

"So what'd you do?" she probed on, her eyes showing complete interest, hungry for information.

"Well, I turned him down! I couldn't be his girlfriend! It just...it just wouldn't be right!" I clarified, stuttering a bit as the desire of ripping out my hair and screaming passed my mind, for perhaps the millionth time.

"Really...?" a snug smile on resided on her lips, as her eyebrow rose.

"Yes really!" I declared, not at all amused.

"Maybe you've already got someone in mind...?" her little _game_ continued on.

Images of Sora passed through my mind. I quickly shook them off, "W-What? No! Of course not!"

"Of course not," she repeated after me, her tone revealing she didn't believe a word, but she didn't pester on, nonetheless, "Goodness, you must have broke the poor boy's heart!"

"I didn't break Sora's heart!" I cried out...then realizing she meant Brent, "Oh, I mean, well, yes, he did seem quite down, but he took it rather well."

She took a few moments to sip her cappuccino before speaking again, and I took this spare moment to unscramble my thoughts. "Well, how do you think this'll affect your friendship?" she continued, between sips, "I mean, things probably _will_ be a little awkward between you guys, don't you think?"

"Well, he said nothing would change...but I guess you're right..." I trailed off

"Hey," Candace started as she finished the last of her liquid, and tossed the empty paper cup into the trash without a second thought, "Why didn't he fall in love with me?!"

I grinned. "Because I'm much prettier and smarter than you!" I teased her.

"What?!" she cried out, between laughs.

Well, after that, we split up, and headed our own ways. Candace had some errands to run, and I just headed home, for I had nothing better to do, really. It was a relatively cloudy day. The clouds were dark, and threatened to pour rain any second. I hurried home.

"I'm back," I called out to no one in particular as I walked through the front door. No voice replied back. "Selphie? Tidus?"

I allowed my backpack to slide down my arm to the ground, as I looked around for the two. I wandered into the kitchen, clean as always. On the fridge was a yellow post-it note, Selphie's neat writing in red pen on it.

_Kairi-_

_ Tidus and I went out to buy some groceries, (which, by the way, is YOUR duty!) since we're totally out, since Tidus totally pigged out with his pals. So, we'll be back in an hour or so. Take care of the house, and don't do anything stupid! (Gosh, I sound like a mom...)_

_ -Selphie_

I reached for the pitcher of water as I finished the note. Well, that certainly explained why I was all alone in this house. Remembering my pack that I had left at the front door, which I had left completely ajar, I hurried back, to snatch it, and close the door. I stuck my head a bit out the door as I grabbed the straps. The sky seemed to darken. Looks like rain...

Carelessly, I tossed my backpack on a chair, as I plopped onto my bed. I instantly reached for the phone; I felt in dire need to speak to someone, _anyone_! At one point, I even considered calling Brent, but I decided not to. My head fell effortlessly into the clean white pillow. _No one was home..._ Feeling like I had nothing better to do, I reached for _Constrictions of a Woman. _We have been reading this book for two months now; it really is starting to affect the way I think...which isn't good, I suppose...

_"I know it's you, the one all the officials are after," the mysterious figure proclaimed as she stepped out of the shadows. The woman approached her, arms crossed. She was tall and slender, eyes crimson, her long, silky raven hair was kept in a ponytail. A sly smirk resided on her lips. Rayne glared at this new foe; she was not worried in the least. There had been many whom had discovered her, but none had lived long enough to turn her in. This woman would be no different. _

_"What makes you so certain?" Rayne questioned her, her voice kept calm. Her sapphire eyes glared at the woman, malice in her raven heart. _

_"Don't try to confound me, Raynelle, I know all about you and your ways."_

_"Confound you? I do no such thing," Rayne's tone matched the woman's. "Me and my ways? I deem you mistaken."_

_"Perhaps..." She ambled back into the shadows. "But I'll put an end to you..."_

_"Try me." Empty threats. They meant naught. Rayne headed her own path down the alleyway. The woman released a bloodthirsty chuckle._

_"Pity. You won't live to regret those words. Just remember my name. Lithé."_

I slipped my bookmark into the novel. Goodness, this book was starting to get quite intense... I allowed the volume to slip from my palm onto my drawer. A yawn escaped my lips. I curled up into a ball; my eyes slid close, and my mind drifted off into sleep. Such a cozy atmosphere really drained my energy, and now all I wanted was a nice rest...

_I found myself pacing the pier, not exactly knowing why. Islanders came and went, passing me, but none stopped to here my pleas. Where was I? What was I doing here? I found no one I knew, no one among these strangers. _

_"Excuse me, sir—"_

_I shrieked as he walked right through me. What was going on? A loud horn interrupted my thoughts._

_A white ship docked right before me. The 'Destiny Waters'... I could see its passengers pouring out, eager to have reached their destinations. A young woman with auburn locks and matching amber eyes among them. I recognized her._

_"Candice!"_

_But no reply came from her. She just hurried right by me, ignoring my cries._

_A young man emerged, seconds after her, his jet black hair, and azure eyes making him stand out._

_"Brent!"_

_He walked right past me, as if I weren't even there. What was wrong with all these people?!_

_ Then, two figures out of the sea of people caught my eyes. He was tall, his eyes an alluring bright blue. His chestnut hair was spiked, defying any and all laws of gravity. Sora. She was teary, her eyes sapphire, with a hint of violet. Her hair was mahogany, long, all the way down to her waist. ...me? More silhouettes came into view. Riku, and Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, and Janice! _

_"Bye Kai, I'll miss you," this Sora spoke. _

_"I'll miss you too," she, or rather, _I_ replied, her eyes filled with sorrow and passion._

_She turned to leave, her grip on her luggage firm, but then she just dropped them, and threw her arms around him. They held each other tight, not daring to let go. Wait...this all seemed too familiar... Then, their embrace ended, and she hurried away, not daring to look back. _

_"Kairi!"_

_My heart leapt when he called out my name. She turned, her expression revealed she were about to burst into tears._

_"I-I..." his words were caught in his throat._

_"I-I..." he tried again, but the words just wouldn't come!_

_"I need to tell you something." He finally spit out. "But not here, not now. We'll talk...soon..."_

_I gasped; it was _that_ day!_

**Bam. **

My eyes snapped open, and I sat up, gasping. How vivid that was! How could I have forgotten? Just before we had split up, he had told me he wanted to tell me something! But, oh gosh, I've been so very busy, and caught up with my own life, and oh...I never got a chance to talk to him since then! I was immediately on my feet, rummaging through my belongings for his number, all the while muttering, "Ohmigosh..." But honestly, how could I have forgotten this? Sora is so dear to me, and I know it was something important... It's been over a month that I've delayed his message; no it's been over a month since I've even talked to him! Please don't let him be mad...

Finally, in Selphie's phonebook, in which she kept a clear count of everyone's digits, I obtained Sora's boarding house number. I sped to the cordless phone, and instantly began dialing the digits.

_Pick up Sora! Pick up, Sora!_

_Riiiiiing...Riiiiiing... _

I bit my lip nervously as the _rings_ went on. Here I was waiting, _hoping_ he'd pick up.

_"Hello?"_

My breath halted. Was that...was that really him?

"H-Hello?" I spoke into the phone, my voice shaky.

_"Who is this?"_

I burst into smiles. _Yes, it _was_ him. _"It's me, Sora. It's Kairi."

_"Oh God..." _I heard him mutter, _"Kairi? Is that really you? Gosh, it's been a long time!"_

"Yeah, it has!" I agreed, "I am so sorry I never called before!"

_"It's no problem!" he assured me, "So what's up?"_

"Well, I know it's been quite a while, but remember the boat ride over? You said you wanted to tell me something, so what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

_"Oh..._that..._" _he paused for a while, not quite knowing what to say.

I waited eagerly for his answer.

_"It's nothing...really."_

"Oh..." I guess I was a bit disappointed. Here I was, believing he was about to tell me of some sort of huge secret that would blow my mind...but I guess I really was just dreaming...

_"So...what's happening?"_

Well, this topic triggered a series of events on my part. I told him of how Selphie and Tidus were doing, my new friends, my part-time job, the Winter Carnival (_"I'll be there! Count on it!" _"Okay!") basically everything, save the incident with Brent. We had some laughs; Sora added in some comical remarks...everything was alright. He was still the same guy I knew, and well, I felt as if we've never been apart!

"So what's going on with you?"

_"Oh...well...er..." he stuttered quite a bit._

I waited patiently; he'd get it out sooner or later!

_"I'm...I'm dating Janice now."_

"Oh!" I didn't notice the smile rapidly vanishing from my face. "Well...that's...that's..." I swallowed hard.

_"Is something wrong?"_

"Oh, um...no, I'm just...I'm just surprised..." I almost whispered.

_"Okay, well I gotta go now..."_

"Um...okay..."

_"Later."_

"Yeah, bye..."

He hung up, leaving me silenced. He...he was dating Janice now...? My breath was shaky, and I felt rather gloomy for no reason in particular. Why did I feel this way? Wasn't I happy to have finally spoken to Sora? And besides, now two of my best friends are dating! He _would_ like her, Janice is great, she's girly, and fun... I should be happy for them! ...right...?

"Hey Kairi! We're home!"

Selphie's energetic voice. They were back. Why wasn't I running down the stairs to meet them? I felt my will wilt away, my strength drained, my spirit...damaged. What is this strange emotion I'm feeling? I started up...but I just couldn't seem to lift myself. I plopped back into my same position on the bed.

"Kairi?"

I could hear Selphie's quick steps scurrying up the flight of stairs. She emerged before me. "Hey Selph." I didn't spend much effort talking to her. In fact, I felt quite lifeless.

She looked at me hard, her expression worried. What? Was something wrong? "What's wrong, Kairi?" she asked; she looked scared almost.

What was wrong? Nothing at all. I had just spoken to my best friend, and found out _great _news. _'Nothing's wrong!' _I wanted to say...but somehow, I just knew something was. Tears slid down my cheeks, and I ran to Selphie, embracing her, my heart hurting horribly. "I don't know! I don't know what's wrong with me!" I burst out crying.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"Nothing! I called up Sora, and we had a great conversation! He gave me wonderful news, and it shocked me a bit at first, but I'm happy for him, really!"

"What did he say to you?" she probed.

"Just that he started to date Janice," I replied, and instantly, my heart ached.

"Oh..." she mumbled, instantly realizing the problem. "You really like him, don't you?"

"What?!" I cried out, "Of course not! We're friends! That's it!"

Selphie looked quite unconvinced. What? That was the truth wasn't it?

"After all," I continued on, "It'd be awkward; we're best friends, and I really don't have a reason to like him. I'm looking for someone who's mature, and nice, and still has a sense of humor—"

"Someone like Brent, right?" she asked, and I nodded, realizing he fitted my description. "But you turned him down, didn't you?"

"I-I..." I found I had lost the words. She was right, actually, I _had _turned him down...and apparently, he's everything I'm looking for.

"Kairi," Selphie continued again, "You don't need a reason to fall in love!"

Seeing realization sweep over me, Selphie left me to think over what she had said.

_I guess I really do like him!_

What an idiot I've been.

_My heart was broken before I even knew I was in love._

Sora... Images of him passed through my mind. His words, his goofy trademark grin, his everything.

_"...I don't know what was bothering you last night, but you know, every time you feel like crying, you can always come to me..."_

Oh, Sora... Your words still bring me so much comfort. _But Sora..._

My eyes were brimming with tears. I gazed through the window. Rain was pouring down freely now, the endless splashing of water, coating the world in a layer of liquid, as if the skies were weeping along side me. Pouring down artificial pain, crying with me when no one else saw through my pain.

It hurt. It hurt to know the one I truly loved had found someone else, when I was still dwelling in the past, shedding useless tears. I just wanted to fade away.

_...You're the one making me cry..._

**Author's Notes:**

Hmm...I'll have to rewrite this chapter when I'm feeling inspired again... Either I've been having writer's block, or I've just started to suck at writing more than usual...but my writing is finally starting to get better! I started working on my one shot again yesterday, and then I started messing around with Photoshop; I wanted to see how Kairi looked in her dress, and how she'd look like with longer hair, and so I got a picture of her, and I started working on it for fun, then it started turning out nice, except her hair looks like Selphie's! It took me hours!!! But it's a pretty cute picture overall. Okay, I know Brent didn't actually say he wanted her to be his girlfriend, but just pretend people! It's hard to write his lines!

**Reviews:**

****

**Astaldotholwen: **Yeah, it kinda was... I don't want it to come to an end either! cries It's been there for soo long, and you've made soo many unexpected twists...and then you put it on hiatus...and then one day you just out of the blue updated... cries more

**Daggerly: **Whoohoo! You wrote another story, and didn't stop! Love it! Yeah! I got CHEESE!!! (that's a first)

**Cmdr. Defiance Nighthawk:** Yeah...I really do have a lot of OC's... But the only ones I'm really keeping in the big picture are Janice, Candice, and Brent.

**Lvkishugs: **Okay...well now you're gone again... CLEAR OUT YOUR MAILBOX!!! I still have to send you the 'Lvkishugs' thing! (You seriously liked that other one that much?!) Hey, I just remembered! YOU STILL OWE ME A DR. GRIP PENCIL!!!!! Oh, and when do you think I should change back to my old name? 'Cause I don't know if they've turned it in yet, or anything...

**Zanisha: **Lolz...tap water... Yeah...I wanna cut my hair before the end of summer... I've been planning to donate to 'Locks of Love' ever since second grade! So now...many years later...my hair is really long...

**aliasfan: **Ooh! You're back! Yeah, I love her CD! I'm gonna use one of her songs for my next one shot, just because the song's so sweet! So inspirational too!

**Infrared Ray: **Ooh...Europe... I don't like traveling much, 'cause I'm terrified of going on a plane... Ten o' clock news have made me totally scared of them...

**Shinimegami Sky: **Ooh! You have chapter three done? Then POST IT UP!!! Oh, you know that picture of Raina on your favorites list that what's-her-name made? Nice!

**zilly:** Ohmigosh, your worst fears have come true!!! So...whatcha gonna do to Sora?

**classengurl: **Angst good! Angst Lithe's best friend! Lolz. When you're someone like me, you LOVE screwing up your character's lives.

**xApo1La: **RAINING?!?! kills you Yeah, they have phones (obviously; didn't Kairi just use one to contact Sora?) But if she called him earlier, then I couldn't make Sora date Janice!!! laughs evilly

Okay, so obviously I've changed my penname TEMPORARILY. Yes, that was the same name I used in my fake mini fic. Yes, it is a REAL NAME. No, it's not pronounced 'lie-th,' it's 'lee-they.' My brother has a friend...at least I think they're kinda friends...and she has that name... Kinda cool!

Two of my stories (Rollercoaster and Caught in the Past) are on the highly recommended list!!! I feel so proud! tear tear

Ciao!


	18. Losing Myself

Chapter 18

**Losing Myself**

Point of View: Kairi

--

A smile reveals much. It illustrates happiness in a simple expression. It lets the world know you are in some state of bliss. A smile is common. You can go out, stroll about for few minutes, and easily see many wearing one on their faces. It _would_ be common; after all, so many people have so much in their lives to be cheerful about. A smile is true. Most who wear it have true happiness in their lives. A smile is a facade. Others who wear it only desire to hide away the misery within.

A smile... Oh what's the point? A smile is no symbol of what I'm experiencing inside. A frown doesn't come close. I don't know how to explain this feeling. _This horrible feeling. _I can't begin to explain how wretched I feel inside. _It's like a huge hole._ A massive piece of me is just...gone. I feel so cold, so empty, so completely _alone._

I guess it's no secret, my feelings toward Sora. I guess a part of me always knew I still loved him. But then, there was the other part which kept me in denial, and held me back from this happily ever after fairy tale I could've had. Maybe those feelings between us weren't just reminiscences, maybe there was still some sort of spark between us; an ember which never really blew out. Now that I think about it, I feel so...stupid. All of the signs were right there in front of me. Sora bringing up the paopu fruit in multiple conversations...the last night home...the boat ride over... It all makes so much sense now. All the confusion, the puzzles which confounded me...they all fell in place...but just too late.

Sora...well, he's found his someone else now, and it couldn't be a worse person. Janice. It's horrible, because we're friends. We've grown so close in the minimum time we've spent together, and well, a friendship should never come to an end over a guy! But oh, Sora's much more than just another ordinary boy. He's...well, _Sora. _

We've been through so much together, our history incredible.

Fate has torn us apart, but destiny brought us back together.

My unseen love...was it really that obvious? So many realized this special connection between us. Selphie...Janice...Candice...Brent... They all knew. Was I really that blind? Of course there have been times I considered the possibility...but I don't know, it just seemed so impossible to believe.

So here I am now, two weeks since that phone call. Standing on our little balcony, glaring at the ocean, at the sunset. My arms traversed, hanging loosely over the railings, back arched gently over, and legs crossed. I've been in this position for a good thirty minutes, just lost in thought. Everything is just so wrong! None of this should have happened! I wasn't supposed to be so ignorant! He wasn't supposed to fall for Janice!

My glare narrowed. I felt so frustrated right now; so angry at Sora...

"How could you?!" I screamed to the world, "You're nothing to me! Nothing!"

Tears slid down my cold cheeks. "Nothing..." I whispered.

Did I hate him? No. How could I?

Did I hate Janice? At the moment, yes.

It was her fault. If she weren't around, he wouldn't be dating her, and living under the same roof as him! This whole mess is all her fault! My palms formed tight fists in aggravation. I sighed. No...it wasn't. As much as I hate to admit it, it was all my fault. If I just realized my feelings earlier then...well, I don't know 'then what,' but all I know is things would be different.

--

I walked about the small island, seeking some form of comfort to soothe my broken heart, but all I found was additional melancholy and depression. On my right was a couple enjoying a romantic evening, seated outside a café. To my left was a blissful young couple, stumbling along as they rollerbladed, fingers intertwined. I sighed sadly as they skated away. Pedestrians passed by me, sending questioning looks to my downcast form, their expressions asking what was the matter.

I ignored them, my gaze kept strictly to the ground. It's not like they cared... I was just one who stood out from the cheery atmosphere.

_Voices in my head..._

I closed my ruddy eyes, my hands covering my ears.

_So many familiar voices..._

I couldn't think... All these voices were growing louder by each passing second... I just wanted to close the world out. I wanted to escape this hell I had gotten myself into.

So many phrases...jumbled into one another. Blurring the meanings, smudging the speakers... I couldn't make out any of the words. They were all the same. The sounds crowded my head until I was on the verge of going insane. Then, one voice jumped out at me.

_"Kairi!"_

My heart skipped a beat. I recognized it.

_"Kairi, remember what you said before? I'm always with you too._

The sounds seemed to clear up. The words became comprehendible. Multiple sentences rung in my head.

_"Heh…did I scare ya?"_

_"The paopu legend. You know, if two people share it, their destinies will be intertwined."_

_"Hey Kai, you nervous? I mean about this whole leaving home and stuff."_

_"I don't know what was bothering you last night, but you know, every time you feel like crying, you can always come to me…"_

_"I need to tell you something... But not here, not now. We'll talk...soon..."_

"Sora..." I mumbled as I opened my eyes again.

My eyes widened as a dark green pole came into view.

"OW!"

I whimpered as I slowly sunk down to my knees. "Owie..." This drew me quite a lot of attention! My face was hot with embarrassment. I could feel diminutive tears bubbling up; it hurt. Physically and emotionally. Nevertheless I held them back.

Note to self: NEVER walk with your eyes closed.

--

_Maybe I'd do better on my own_

_No one ever seems to understand me_

_It's easier for me to be alone_

_But there's a piece of me that feels so empty_

_I've been all over the world_

_I've seen a million different places_

_But through the crowds and all the faces_

_I'm still out there looking for you_

I found myself wandering aimlessly, a few hours later. No real reason, no real feel for direction, just continuously walking onward. Luckily for me, this is a rather small island, quite impossible to lose your way in. It was starting to get rather late. The sun began to set on me, regardless I was still out wandering. Being an islander myself, I was familiar with little knacks somewhat useful to people, and easily deciphered the time judging the direction of shadows.

_Where are you now?_

_I'm trying to get by with never knowing at all_

_What is the chance of finding you out there?_

_Or do I have to wait forever?_

Quarter till seven. Have I really been out that long? Well, no worries, Selphie will understand. '_Understand what?'_ was basically what I was musing, _'That I got a bit depressed, and decided to wander all over town because I had nothing better to do?' _

Okay...maybe she won't...

_I write about the things I'll never know_

_And I can't find a moment just to slow down_

_It makes me think I'll never have the chance_

_To figure out what it's all about_

_So tell me what it's all about_

I walked over to the railings that bordered a cliff which overlooked the sea, allowing my body to resume in the same position as it was previously at our own little balcony. It was a gorgeous scenery, but I just couldn't enjoy it, just couldn't absorb it as I always do. It just seemed to soothe me in some sort of fashion. Perhaps that's why I'm so drawn to it...

_Where are you now?_

_I'm trying to get by with never knowing at all_

_What is the chance of finding you out there_

_Or do I have to wait forever_

The questions I had been dwelling upon ceased to forsake me. They left me questioning everything and everyone I knew and loved. Was Sora really dating Janice? Didn't he even have any kind of feelings toward me at all? Why Janice of all people? Didn't they even consider my feelings at all? How could they? I sighed in defeat. All this questioning was pointless. I stood to start back for the boarding house.

But the one thing that continued to ponder my mind was...

_Where are you now?_

_I'm trying to get by with never ever knowing at all_

_And I still don't know_

_Where are you now?_

_I'm trying to get by with never ever knowing at all_

_What is the chance of finding you out there?_

_Or do I have to wait_

_Or do I have to wait_

_Or do I have to wait forever?_

_...Why?_

--

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, okay, I know, this took me forever and...it was ANOTHER semi-pointless chapter (please don't kill me!). Well...lets see...what's happened since my last update...oh, I rewrote part of the ending for Caught in the Past, I'm gonna be working with another one of my friends, Candace, or aka Astaldotholwen! Oh, and can anyone tell me how long I've been using this penname? Cause I'm gonna be changing back soon!

Okay, I don't feel like doing replies today...so I'll just answer some questions and make some comments. Hey, classengurl, give me a hint when you actually write out those two fics! I definitely will want to check them out! Sky, whoops, my bad! madcow, thanks for reviewing so late! Lolz...you realize you're married to your cousin? (HoD) Apolla, you know, I find myself thinking that way towards half of the writers here! Don't worry, your writing is awesome, you just need to realize it!

Oh, and thanks everyone who reviewed my one shot Waiting for Tonight! Let's see...Zanisha, yep, I'm currently figuring out some plots to some other fics I'm planning to do after or while I write Rollercoaster! One of my ideas is going to take place in a time span of over ten years! So...I should probably get started on that soon...if I ever plan on finishing it... Oh, and heya Riley!

No! First ffnet takes away my star things, now it's those greater than, less than signs! [cries] Okay, I'm gonna keep this short. Plz R&R everyone!

Ciao


	19. Going For It

Chapter 19

**Going For It**

Point of View: Kairi

--

I found myself staring blankly at my textbook.

I raised my head warily to observe the rest of the class. They all seemed so deep into their work, pencils scribbling rapidly. Here I was, in the middle of my philosophy class, in the middle of an assignment, and I realize I haven't been paying attention to a single word my professor has been saying.

My right hand crept over to the pencil which lay peacefully in the thick book. Resting on page 465 of the text was my spiral notebook, flipped to a fresh page, awaiting a masterpiece to be written upon it.

Yeah right.

I looked over to Candice on my right. I couldn't make out any of her small, neat writing, and I didn't want to throw the assumption of cheating upon myself. But I had no idea what we were doing!

"Psst!" I whispered to her; but unfortunately, deeply engaged to her work, Candice hadn't heard me. "Psst! Candice!" I hissed louder.

"Miss Hikari!"

I jumped slightly at Professor Kiyle's booming voice. "I'd like to have a word with you after class."

I shriveled back meekly, embarrassment apparent on my face.

Clutching my pencil with a sweaty palm, I looked down to my notebook, wondering what I'd write. Lifting my hand, I shakily began to write _November 12th _on the right hand corner. I left the sheet title-less, for I had no clue what it should to be about.

_RIIIING_

I gathered up my papers, and stuffed them into my backpack, quickly making my way down the rows with the rest of the class. I took notice that the others turned in their papers on Professor Kiyle's desk as they exited the room. I straggled behind them, my face still hot.

"Alright, Miss Hikari," Professor Kiyle started, "Would you mind telling me what's going on?"

My mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. What kind of answer was she looking for?

"Your grades have dropped dramatically and you've been spacing out during my lectures during the past month," she continued on. "Is there something that's going on with your personal life?"

"Well..." I started, looking down at my feet.

"I'll take that as a yes," she resolved. "Look Kairi, I know you'll have increasing private issues to sort out when you're in college, but that shouldn't affect your work. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am," I managed to whisper, my face burning up, tears close to the edge. I hurried out of the room, where I found Candice and Brent waiting for me, listening, or perhaps a better word, _eavesdropping._

"So what was that all about?" Candice asked me as we made out way down the corridors.

"Nothing really," I half lied; I mean after all, it was nothing that concerned them.

I guess they understood I really didn't want to talk about it. Silence swept over us, none bothering to start up another conversation. Brent was especially quiet. I sighed. I suppose you could say things are still a bit awkward between us. I hate not being able to talk to him like I could before!

--

We emerged out of the building, relieved to find our few hours break at the tip of our fingertips. I was _not_ looking forward to returning to the UArt in the afternoon. I just felt so worn out. I haven't been getting enough sleep for the last few weeks, and yes, just as Kiyle had mentioned, my work habits have not been active, leaving me daydreaming, or just plain spaced out during classes.

I shaded my eyes as the sun hit me. I was so accustomed to the shady atmosphere of the classroom; the outdoors just seemed so bright.

"Let's head over to the inn for drinks," Candice suggested at an attempt to break the silence.

"You girls go ahead," Brent started, "I have to head back to the house."

"Okay, see you in Japanese then," I said to him as he headed down the road.

"Yeah, see ya!" Candice called after him, showing she obviously had more energy than I did.

So Candice and I started over to the inn, a pleasant root beer float in mind. She'd start up conversations, and I'd just nod along, not exactly paying attention... After a while, I guess Candice figured out I wasn't listening... The never-ending questions of 'why' continued to consume me. Yes, I was still a bit wound up about Sora and Janice.

We passed the beach on the way over. The scenery never failed to catch my attention. The waves lapping soothingly at the shore, the saltwater breeze whisking around us, the palm trees swaying gently in the breeze...

But this time, there was something different... This time, _someone_ was there, waiting for me.

I gasped.

"Hey Kai." He smiled warmly, "Remember me?"

How could I forget him? His welcoming aqua eyes, his silvery long hair...

"Riku!" I cried, running over to him, jumping into his arms. I could feel tears slipping down my cold cheeks.

I heard him chuckle, "Miss me much?"

I looked up at him, and nodded. "God Riku... It's been at least 3 months since I've last seen you!"

I rashly wiped away the tears with my sleeve; I could feel the liquid bubbling up again. _No, I'm not crying again! _But I couldn't help it. A small tear revealed itself. Riku gently wiped it away with his thumb. And I couldn't help but beam.

Suddenly remembering Candice, I turned from Riku to face her.

"Candice, this is Riku; Riku, Candace!" I introduced them to each other. So hellos were exchanged, and etcetera etcetera etcetera...

As they became acquainted, I took this opportunity to take a good look at Riku.

He appeared essentially the same, except for some minor changes. His skin was considerably tanner than the last time I had seen him, his hair trimmed so it laid nonchalantly on his shoulders. Riku seemed to have grown another couple of inches, and I do believe his voice had developed a bit, for it did seem deeper than to my recollection.

His attire consisted of the run of the mill sweater, scarf, cargo pants, and gloves; quite similar to my own selection of autumn colored garments.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked him, turning his attention back to me.

"Well, I've been talking to Sora lately," he started, easily noticing my smile fading rapidly. His face revealed compassion for me. "How you holding up?"

"Alright I guess..." I mumbled, averting my gaze to the ground. "Is he really dating Janice...?"

I braced myself, my gaze fixed on the leaves littered path, not daring to look up into his eyes, which held the truth. I wanted him to tell me it was all a lie. I wanted him to tell me it was all just some silly joke or prank Sora decided to play on me. I wanted him to tell me everything was alright.

"Yeah he is."

**Burn.**

I swallowed hard. "Oh..."

Silence engulfed us for a moment.

My lower lip trembled as I tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come. "I-I...I'm happy for him..." I managed to say.

Riku walked over to me. He embraced me, and I held him tight. I could feel the tears I've been holding inside for so long flow down my cheeks.

"Shh..." he hushed, "It's okay, Kai."

I choked upon my tears. I had completely forgotten about Candice, who was still waiting for me at a distance. And then I finally noticed her.

I wiped my tears from my eyes, pushing myself from Riku's arms.

It's wonderful to see him again...but he's made this harder for me than it's ever been before.

I turned to rejoin Candice. "It's been great seeing you again, Riku, but I have to go now."

"Wait Kairi," Riku called to me, "I didn't just come here to confirm your thoughts about Sora and Janice. I came to bring you to see him."

And then I stopped dead in my tracks. Memories of Sora swarmed my mind. Did I really want to put myself through all that pain? No...of course not... It'd just be way too hard on me. But still...I really did want to see him again...

I dropped the books that rested in my arms, and let my backpack slide from my shoulder onto the ground. My head dropped down, and my eyes closed.

Candice looked at my downcast form. "Kairi...?"

I looked up again, a sense of determination in my soul. "Let's go then."

A grin formed upon Riku's lips. "Alright, then let's hurry! The ferry leaves in five minutes!"

"Wait Kairi!" Candice cried, "What about your classes?"

"Well, you'll just have to tell Lanchey I won't be able to make it today."

And with that, I ran after Riku to the docks, where our ferry awaited. The ferry that would bring me to him.

_Please wait for me Sora. _

--

**Author's Notes:**

Yes I know, this was an incredibly short chapter! Well, it's been another three weeks since I've updated! Heh heh... Ooh, and if you haven't noticed, I've changed back to my original penname! Goodbye Lithe, helloo Lyphe! XD Well, I was kinda stuck on this chapter, after I last updated, I started on this chapter right away, but I had no clue what to write after _'I shriveled back meekly, embarrassment apparent on my face.'_

Ooh, I got so many reviews for my last chapter! Thanks everyone who reviewed!

**Reviews:**

****

**Astaldotholwen: **-smiles- First reviewer again! Well, I've told you this hundreds of times, but I LOVED YOUR FIC! –ITDWM- Lolz...

**Infrared Ray: **Heya Ray Ray! I'd do one of those 'smiley eyes' things with that sign on the '6' button except ffnet doesn't let me use those anymore...

**Kintora: **Well, you were right! Kairi's gonna go visit Sora and Janice, and then... -dun dun dun- All hell will break loose!!! Lolz, just kidding...

**aliasfan: **Glad you liked it! –smiles- Well, I've started working on a new one shot called "Bite Me," and well, I was in a dark mood when I started writing it, so a lot of cuss words! -sheepish look-

**Zanisha: **Ooh...Calgary... O.O -has no clue where that is-

**Lady Hitokiri: **Ooh, you got a name change! Well, Lvkishugs and I are trying to start up our fics again, and I've actually already started on the next chapter to MiaB...but I haven't worked on it in months... -sheepish look- But I'll try to update it soon!

**Me: **Glad you liked it! –smiles- Oh yea, I love Michelle Branch too! Her songs work so well!

**Daggerly: **Daggerly...Remaerd...Daggerly...Remaerd... ... Lolz...

**x3 Apolla: **I know what you mean! Most of the stuff I write comes from the heart too! ...And the other stuff depends on my mood... XP

**Juzlovnsora: **Heya Kai! Lolz, yea...I bet they were! XD **-Oh hey, everyone, if you're ever bored, come join Juzlovnsora's forum, Hearts of Destiny! Check her profile for a link!-**

**Zaliassa: **Ooh, hi! –waves- Wow, I can't believe this fic inspired your story! -so proud- Oh yea, don't worry, I'll give you full credit if I use your poems! They're all amazing! **-Hey everyone! Zaliassa just updated her story "And Who Knows?" Go read it! It's awesome!-**

**darkreality11: **So glad you like! Well, actually no...but that would have been a great twist in the plot! XD

**Xux: **So glad you like! Ya know, just a couple of months ago I was just another anonymous reviewer, but then, I got off my lazy ass and decided to start writing on this site, since I had been wanting to for a while. I'm not much of a critic either! Hey, if you ever start writing, give me a heads up!

**madcow863: **Lolz...the new family tree is so confuzzling! Well, let's see...why I changed my penname...it's a looong story! XP

**classengurl: **Oh, I know exactly what you mean! I can hardly find time to write anymore! Either that or I'm just lazy...

Well, I'll be starting school tomorrow, so it'll be even harder for me to update frequently... But gosh, I'm so excited about seeing my friends again! But...I'm the ONLY one with first lunch, so...I'M STUCK WITH THE LIL' KIDS!!!!!!!!!!! cries X(

Plz review!

lataz

-lyphe


	20. Little Boat Ride

Chapter 20

**Little Boat Ride**

Point of View: Selphie/Kairi

--

The icy, bronze liquid poured easily into the just cleansed glass.

I took my ice tea, yes, with the lemon, and slipped outside, beyond the glass double doors, and out onto our little balcony, the one with the gorgeous view—the one that faced the ocean.

It truly was a gorgeous day.

The sun sunk slowly, dipping into the platinum sea, letting the beach bathe in its apricot glow for a long while. The foamy waves lapped softly at the shore, gently rearranging the sand particles beneath them. The late autumn breeze wisped about, carrying along crunchy garnet, orange, and brown leaves.

The trees bordering the path from UArt had all been losing their leaves, as well as the rest of the island, carpeting the pathway in the royal colors.

And I love the sound they made when I walk over them.

_Crunch._

I took a sip though the straw from my beverage.

Okay, okay, fine, it just was a nice _Snapple_ lemon iced tea I had just poured out of the glass bottle, fresh from the fridge.

"Hey Selph!"

I turned my head, not really bothering to move the rest of my body. "Oh hey Tidus, what's up?"

"Not much, just came to check on you."

He walked over next to me, leaning across the railings. His gorgeous smile shot through my dreamy, fantasy-ish realm, and circulated throughout my veins like an arrow. I couldn't help but beam as I stood on my toes and slipped him a light kiss on the cheek.

And we just stood on that balcony for a while, absorbing the sun's rays, while my mind wandered off to the events which had occurred prior today…

--

_It was around eleven, __eleven thirty__ maybe. I had already come back from my morning classes at the university; Tidus had too, and so we walked back to the house, fingers intertwined. We passed by the beach—we always go by the beach because I just insist, and Tidus can't resist! The shoreline reminds me of our island home, and I no longer see the need to feel homesick. _

_The ferry which comes through twice a week had docked upon the pier. I wondered who would be coming at this time of year, after all, tourist season has long passed, and it's well known most of the natives here have never left their homeland. Why? Well, I'm sure I'll never know._

_A limited number of passengers disembarked the ship; few with simple backpacks swung over their shoulders, or just bearing nothing at all; even fewer with suitcases and duffle bags. A couple of the passengers appeared quite young...perhaps the same age as I! They seemed to be in quite a hurry, as they sprinted off the ship. Hmm...skipping class, eh? _

_One man in particular caught my eye. He didn't seem to be in much of a rush; this man walked leisurely toward the shore, grace within every step. I found I had stopped to watch this man. There was just something about him I couldn't exactly place... Then he stopped and looked directly at me. _**Gasp.** _His beautiful aqua eyes pierced me, silver hair whipping slightly against his face._

_Oh. My. God._

_"Riku!" I cried, leaving the path we had tread and stumbling slightly as I made my way through the sand and towards him._

_Riku's serious expression vanished, a huge grin immediately plastered upon his face. I leapt into his open arms, Tidus right behind me, his excitement obvious. It's been months since we've last seen him! _

_"Hey Tidus and _Selph_," he said, emphasizing my name, with a light chuckle for my enthusiasm. _

_Well he explained his intentions of coming, about the whole Sora, Janice deal. So then came our each exchange of 'what's been going on,'-s 'how've you been,'-s, ladedadeda... We had to be on our way back, and I had even invited Riku to come with us, but he had decided to wait for Kairi, after all, she should have been heading our way in a matter of minutes._

_Just before we left him, Riku whispered one last secret into my ear. Tidus tugged slightly at my hand, signaling it was time we went. He called back goodbyes as we headed back down the path we had been sidetracked from. I looked behind me at the still-smiling Riku, and a slight sense of sadness settled over me. _

Oh Riku...

_I sighed, turning away from him, as we headed back._

Maybe you should reconsider...

(end Selphie's PoV)

--

I raised my head, consenting the salty November breeze to freely cascade through my long auburn locks. This sense of excitement had taken over me. This sense of excitement had overwhelmed me. This sense of excitement... Well, I haven't felt this sense of excitement in years.

Riku and I just happened to be the only passengers aboard the ferry to Pearl Island. We had a lovely view of the ocean from the empty deck; Riku on one side, and I on the other opposite to him.

I inhaled deeply, the crisp autumn air flowing into my veins. _Ah…_ The simple pleasures of life… I've been so busy with the university and everything that's been going on lately…well, I guess I've forgotten to just sit back and enjoy and appreciate the little things.

_Clank, clank. _

I could hear the Riku's gentle footsteps heading my way. I needed not turn, or to look to him. His voice spilled over the edges, silky and lovely. "Nervous?" he whispered.

The icy breeze whisked me, sending chills up and down my spine. "Yeah..."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Kairi...?"

"I don't know..."

_I don't know... _Those words just tumbled out unexpectedly. I shocked myself a bit. _I don't know?! _What kind of an answer is that?! _'Of course I want to go through with this!'_ would a far more decent answer!

I _do_ want to see Sora..._right_...?

**_FREEZE._**

_You are pathetic. You don't even know what you want._

Of course I know what I want! I just...

_You're just in hesitation. You're not sure if Sora even wants to see you. _

No... I just--

_Just face it. He's probably too busy to even care. After all, he's got Janice now—_

STOP IT!!! Shut up, just shut up!

_Kairi, Kairi, Kairi... When will you **ever** be able to stand up upon your own two feet, and stop hiding away like a lost child?_

Just go away...

_Oh, but I'm never gone..._

**I hate you, my conscience.**

**_GO._**

"Well I'm always here for you if—"

"Yeah, I know," I interrupted him, "Thanks...Riku..."

I turned to face him, the corners of my mouth shifting to a full-out grin. After all, you never know how far a smile can go...

A slight blush rose on his face. Wow, I must have really caught him off guard! I've never known Riku to blush for anything!

"Kairi..."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

**Oh. My. God**.

When I said 'you never know how far a smile can go,' I really didn't think it could go this far!

**_PAUSE._**

Was it just me...or did time really stop...?

It was like an illusion or something. I watched as all the color of the scene was slowly drained away— like when I'm shutting off my laptop. I heard the seagulls silence; their cheery cries simply fade away. I felt my movements halt, my energy shriveling away. It was like for that split second, I was frozen in time...

**_REWIND._**

****

"I love you." He said.__

"I-I love Sora."

****

And that moment, I felt our glass friendship hit the planks and shatter into a million pieces which would never be put together again.

**_STOP._**

****

_You shouldn't have said that._

I know, I know!

**_BACK UP._**

****

"I-I love Sora." The words just slipped. They had slipped out before I could stop myself.

"I know."

_Huh?_

The first word that ran through my mind was '_huh_.'

Wow, he's taking this all rather well for a guy I just told I loved his best friend.

"I know you love Sora. But you don't know how long I've felt this way."

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words would come. After all, how would _you_ react if one of your longest all-time best guy friends (nothing more) just confessed his long time feelings for you?

"It's never been enough..." he continued, "No matter what I did to impress you, it's never been enough to top Sora. I've had many chances to make you mine, yet I do nothing about it; _because I know your heart belongs to Sora_."

And there I was, shocked to my very core, frozen to the spot, rendered speechless.

"And now..." he went on, phased not the least, "Here we are again. I'm not stopping you from going to Sora, but _helping_ you. You know why? Because I care so damn much about you, I'm willing to give up my own happiness to make you happy."

I could feel my eyes welling up, my breathing shaky. I wanted to say 'thank you,' but I knew that simply wasn't enough.

"It's alright if you never feel the same way I do," Riku almost whispered, "I'll always love you."

And then, my friends, I burst out in tears. I stumbled over to Riku's turned figure, throwing my instable arms around him. He closed his eyes, soaking in the moment. And you know what? I'm not sad or disappointed that I was put in this predicament, I was thankful for the people around me who cared so much about me.

"I'm so glad..." I choked, "...I'm so glad I have you for a friend..."

_Riku was a true friend. He gave up his everything for me. But the sad thing was, well, I just wasn't in love with him. He deserves so much, and I truly hope he finds his someone special..._

_He's helped me through these tough times, and I am forever grateful to him. When I wanted to cry, he would be there for me. When I needed someone to help me out, he was there. _

_I was so scared about confronting Sora, and Riku knew it. And so he held my hand the whole way there..._

--

**Author's Notes:**

Oh dear Lord, could it be? Have I actually updated...? WELL, YES I HAVE!!! I promised myself I would finish my next chapter, and I finally stuck by myself! Today's my 6 month anniversary on this site! ::throws confetti:: I've been on this site for exactly half a year, and I cannot believe how many friends I've made along the way! I love you guys, and thanks for sticking by me all this time!

I _was_ gonna post a new one shot today, but it's pretty late right now, and I have school tomorrow... ::shouts curses at school::

I'll try to organize my updating schedule a bit...that is...if anyone's still interested in what's gonna happen! Ya know...I could just end this story right here, right now, and nobody would know what would happen next! Mwahahahahaha...

Okay, so this was kinda semi-pointless, but I'm gonna squish together about 2 or 3 chapters worth of storylines, 'cause I'm so sick of dragging out the plot...

Well, thanks everyone who reviewed last chapter, oh and **meeeee-stir-eeee**,I hate not knowing who you are!!! ::rips out hair::

Okay, some writers I highly recommend ('cause they're awesome, and 'cause I love them):

**x** Dashie

**x** Freya Sama

**x** Kinoarashi

**x** Marie Annette

**x** ShadowKairi

**x** WSgirl

**x **YuToMe

**x** Zaliassa

Okay, I'm sure I forgot some people...but I'll get you sooner or later!

Now, see the purple button, like the purple button, press the purple button!


	21. You Frustrate Me

--------------------

Chapter 21

**"You Frustrate Me" **

Point of View: Kairi/3rd Person

--------------------

_"Take this. It's my lucky charm. Be sure to give it back to me." _

_"Don't worry. I will." _

_"Promise?" _

_"Promise." _

_"Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you."_

Wherever you go, I'm always with **y o u . . .**

--

I hadn't even thought of it.

My charm. The one I gave him so long ago. He had never returned it to me. Had he just carelessly lost it? Or had he presented it as a gift to some 'oh-so-gorgeous' girl he had met over the years?

Promises.

**Sigh. **

I'm constantly thrown hopelessly into a tangle of pathetic, childish promises which have no means of being kept. Why bother? Memories? Ha! Don't make me laugh. Those lovely memories are so far behind...I suppose I really am the only fool who holds onto them. A mind as futile and gullible as mine... Is there really such hope for a lovesick girl in a world as cruel and cursed as this?

I don't suppose so.

He'll say it's too late. He'll say he has Janice now. He'll say "Go Home."

Oh.

What am I getting myself so worked up about?

Envisioning rejection honestly does one no good in her self confidence or in calming down the last minute jitters and changes of mind. I _really _don't know why I constantly allow myself to fall into the depths of my own nightmares. Habit I suppose.

The icy breeze swept into my locks, sending shivers up and down my spine despite my thick sweater. I clutched tightly to Riku's arm, expressing my anxiety in a less appreciated style. I snuck a look at Riku's face, and his expression was a numb one, seeming not to feel the pressure I was putting on his arm. I just realized I was cutting off his blood circulation and by then his arm was probably as numb as his expression.

I quickly released my 'stress reliever.'

"Heh...sorry..."

"Mmhm..."

Well! That was quite plainly put!

I found myself glancing at Riku again, his form so serene; so calm and collected. He seemed so...peaceful...maybe a bit _too_ peaceful... Perhaps this was part of why I found myself more attracted to Sora than Riku. Sora's...well, _normal_, to put it bluntly. He's cheery, fun, _alive..._

Riku... He's much more sophisticated, so matured, and so charming. But sometimes it seems like he's lost some of the life I once saw in him. Sometimes it's almost like he _has_ no time to laugh, he _has_ no time to flap your arms and run about wildly... Oh I don't know... Maybe it's just folly, or maybe all this college has made me forget how my friends really are like...

_"We are closing in on __Pearl_ _Island_ _! This is the last stop, so all passengers must disembark! Please have your baggage in hand, we'll be docking shortly! Thank you for riding with Destiny Waters, and we hope you have a good day!"_

This new announcement stirred me from my thoughts. 'All passengers?' Quite sardonic, seeing how Riku and I were the only passengers on this foot of the ride.

My gaze fell upon the petty though gorgeous little island we were about to dock upon. It was a pretty sight, palm trees framing the little island themed inns, sunset setting a perfectly lovely background canvas for the scenery. The puffy cotton candy clouds dotted the sky, adding in the pinks and purples. Tropical flowers lined the walkways as far as the eye could see, and children's laughter put in the final touching.

I can certainly say this island quite literally took my breath away.

But my mind was not focused on the pretty flowers, or cawing seagulls; it was on finding and confronting Sora unannounced. Oh, I did hope Janice would not be with him... It would be difficult enough facing him alone, but with his girlfriend by his side... _Oh... _

At that moment, all I wanted to do was turn back, go home, and slip under the covers where I'd complain to Selphie and she'd be able to relate somehow.

I watched our only source of transportation slowly drift away into the platinum sea.

"Riku," I mumbled, tugging at his sleeve like an adolescent child, "I want to go home. I don't want to do this anymore."

"Next boat isn't until nightfall," he reasoned with me, "So you can either 'rip off the Band-Aid,' or just mope around here, never knowing what could have happened if you did what you set out to do."

_Argh! _

I groaned heavily. I **hated** when Riku did this kind of 'no-way-out' reasoning with me. And as usual, he was right again. Ugh. I hated that too.

"So, where do we start?" I asked him, referring to where we'd start looking for Sora.

"Dunno," he replied dully, "But this is a relatively small island, so it shouldn't be too difficult looking for him—or _them."_

**Dammit Riku. **

I was _just_ starting to regain some confidence, and you just _had_ to bring up that matter of _them_.

But I trudged onwards anyways, ignoring the lump that had formed in my throat. _Might as well get this over with._

"God, Riku," I burst out; stopping abruptly "I might be ruining everything that I had with two of my closest friends!"

I thought about all those beautiful times I had spent with Sora.

--

_"You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?"_

_"Yeah, of course!"_

_"That's good. Sora, don't ever change."_

--

_"There's something about this musty place... It reminds me of the secret place back home, where we used to scribble on the walls. Remember?"_

--

_"This time, I'll protect you."_

--

_"I looked everywhere for you, but you were with me all along. Finally, we're together, Kairi."_

--

_"When I turned into a Heartless, you saved me, remember? I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things-- my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice--your voice. You brought me back." _

_"I didn't want to just forget about you, Sora. I **c o u l d n ' t **."_

--

"Or you might be getting everything you've wanted since you were seven."

I turned to face him.

Suddenly, the chances seemed to turn a bit to my favor.

"...Maybe..."

--

He'd laugh-- oh how beautiful his laughs were-- and wrap his arm around her waist and then she'd look at him and beam, completely in love with him, and they'd walk off, happily ever after.

And you know what?

Their happily ever after was a knife cutting into my heart.

I stood by Riku's side, my knees weakened, stuck to my place, tears threatening. I _had_ found him, and you know what? I found _her_ too.

My so-called best friend.

--

Happy.

Janice was happy.

It was a strange sort of happy though. After all the horrible things that had happened in the past month, this was the best thing that had happened to her. Within a few phone calls with her friends from the city, she had learned that both Sean _and_ Wendy were lying through their teeth.

And she was pretty damn upset about it.

Sean was lying through his teeth, with all that bull he had told Janice the last time they had seen each other.

Wendy was lying through her teeth, with all that pathetic shit about trying to make Sean like her.

The instant they went back, Sean was cracking up about that 'totally serious look on her face,' and Wendy was ranting about what a gullible fool that Janice was.

But that was all that she was.

A fool.

A fool who had somehow gotten mixed up with the wrong kinds of people.

But you know what?

She didn't care anymore. All that bad stuff that had happened to her? It was all in the past. It wouldn't hurt her anymore. 'Good riddance' she said. _Because now she had Sora._

At first, she just felt sorry for him, he was so broken down about Kairi. But as the time fluttered by, the truth was, she had grown to fall deeply in love with him.

So now she could smile again, and the best part was...

Sora would always be by her side, smiling there _with _her.

How was she supposed to know that falling in love with Sora would trigger what could change their lives forever?

--

It was hard enough for me when Sora lived 3 frickin' hours from where I resided. But you know what it feels like to see the guy you've loved for the last eleven years of your life with the girl you thought was your best friend? It kills you from the inside out.

It makes you feel like the world has deserted you.

It makes you want to scream out and cry.

And it makes you want to run and run until you've no energy left.

And that's exactly what I did.

I ran.

I wanted to go somewhere where I could cry my eyes out, where I could find peace, where I could find hope. But you know what? There really is no such place.

So I went to the place I always went to cry.

I sat down on the wooden planks of the pier, let my feet dangle in the salty sea, and let my tears fall like rain into the platinum sea. And there wasn't a person in the world that could possibly care what I was feeling right now.

--

They were walking happily, there was nothing that could ever disturb them, she thought, but she was wrong.

Suddenly, without an explanation, Sora just started running into the distance, mumbling a single word.

"Kairi."

Her first thought was, "_What...?"_

But then she caught sight of a flash of silver staring back at her, sympathy in his eyes. Her mouth dropped for a second, disbelief capturing her for the moment.

"No..."

Kairi was here.

And they both knew Sora still loved her.

--

I was sobbing.

I cried too much.

Ripples over ripples formed in the gentle waves; tears and tears merging into the waters. They say it helps to cry your eyes out. But you know what? It made me feel no better, knowing I was too late.

"I...hate...you...Sora..." I choked between sobs.

"Why?"

My breath halted, that voice hauntingly unforgettable. How _could_ I forget?

"S-Sora...?" I whispered, scrambling to my feet and turning around.

"Yeah..." came his reply.

My tears doubled now, joy mixed with sadness. I found my knees had lost their strength to stand, and I could feel myself falling.

_I'm falling..._

But I fell right into his arms.

_I'll be there to catch you... _

--

_I'll give you the moon at night  
I'll give you the stars to light your eyes  
I'll give you the sun to make just one more dawn  
So another day may come  
I'll give you my heart and soul  
I'll be there to catch you when you fall  
When you ask me what I'll give to you  
Girl, I'll give it **a l l . . .  
**_

* * *

**  
Author's Notes:**

TWO MONTHS, BABY!!!  
TWO LONG MONTHS, AND I AM BACK!!! XD

No, I have not given up on this fic, and I will not until the very words 'the end' falls upon the very last page! ::audience cheering:: XD  
Lalala...it's Christmas Eve... ::laughs:: Ooh, and my brother's birthday's coming up soon too! He's turning 15 on the 27th! XD

Oh, and THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!! ::smiles:: I've finally gotten to (and surpassed) 200 reviews! ::throws confetti::

So a BIG thank you to wishingstargirl, madcow863, Astaldotholwen, Daggerly, Love is Destiny/Lvkishugs/Blowing Kisses (I can't believe you made ANOTHER account...), Kintora, x3Apolla, kerricarri, classengurl (you got the 200th review!), Ichigo Engine, Zanisha, Mai xp (I can't believe they omitted your review...), Zanisha, Shinimegami Sky, aliasfan, Hikari of Hearts (I finally figured out who you were after your change of name! XD), Mah, and Infrared Ray!

Ah...

This would be a lovely way to finish off the chapter wouldn't it?

Well guess what? I'm gonna squish in another chapter (and a half even)!!! XD

Well, I won't make this any longer than it already is, and a happy Christma-Hana-Kwanza-Kah to you! XD

Annie

* * *

"What are you doing here...?" 

"I should ask you the same thing."

"I'm here to...to..."

"Yes?"

"To see...you...I guess..."

I could feel my cheeks burning up, the awkwardness of it all coming down on me like the tide to shore. Then I heard him laugh.

"Miss me that much?"

"Well I—um...yes..." I admitted to him, my shoulders drooping, my gaze falling into the water, where I found a small, nervous girl looking back up at me. "I missed you, Sora."

"Ah...sweet misery..." He commented, his goofy trademark grin plastered upon his face.

"This isn't funny!" I cried, playfully punching him, snapping out of my daze.

Silence passed between us. I guess we've sort of forgotten how to be with each other. I sighed. Maybe some things are meant to change...

"I missed you too, Kairi."

--

After some catching up with each other, Sora led me away, blindfolded, to some secret, secluded place he had found. My excitement had built up so much I could hardly bear it.

"What's the big surprise, Sora Landon?" I demanded between laughs, "Don't keep me in suspense much longer!"

"Alright," he chuckled, taking off my blindfold.

My eyes fluttered open, excitedly, happy to be rid of the cloth. And before me lay one of the loveliest places I've ever seen.

It was lush green.

A clear river flowed through the clearing; big, beautiful trees lined up along the bank. Smooth boulders were planted into the ground, and it wasn't necessarily grassless, but there wasn't too much grass. Little bamboo shoots shot out from the background, along with many other sorts of tropical plants; closing out the rest of the world. A gentle breeze whisked through, humming an unknown song.

"Wow..." I murmured.

"Gorgeous isn't it..." he whispered in my ear, "I come here to think whenever I feel homesick or depressed, or just to think."

"Sora..."

"Hmm?"

"I-I..."

I couldn't look at him, so I turned away. I didn't want to make this any harder than it already was.

"I love you..."

Silence.

I braced myself. _What did I just do?!_ I've probably just ruined our friendship right there.

"I love you too, Kai..."

I turned abruptly, not quite certain what I just heard. "What...?"

"I said I loved you," Sora answered, his face serious, "It's always been you, Kai."

There and then, I suddenly started crying, unable to stop myself.

"What's wrong?" he asked me, holding me in his arms.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't love me..." I choked, "I was so afraid you'd tell me to go home..."

"But I didn't, Kai," Sora replied, so sweetly, "I could never do anything to hurt you."

There, he kissed me. Beauty and love erupting within me, happiness unlimited. I was happy. I felt content. I just wanted to stay this way forever...

--

Sora took me around the island, smiling at me the whole time. I wrapped my arm around his, letting my head lean into it. A small blush lay upon my cheeks, and a content smile below that.

_If this is a dream...I hope I never wake up... _

Sora and I sat outside an ice cream parlor, opposite of each other, cones in our hands.

"So I heard Wakka's found himself a girlfriend!" Sora suddenly brought up, his goofy smile there again.

"Really?" I laughed

I sighed, not so much happily or sadly or of regret in any way.

"I miss this, Sora," I said, looking down, smiling in a sort of sad way, "I miss joking around like this, and having fun... I guess what I'm trying to say is, well, I miss spending time with you..."

Sora stared at me for a second, the same expression on his face, "Yeah...I do too..."

"Maybe this 'different colleges' thing wasn't such a good idea..."

"Yeah...maybe it wasn't..."

Suddenly, I spotted Janice, and there, my friends, is where it all came crashing down.

"Hey Kairi! Look, it's Janice!"

I could see that...

"Come on! Don't you want to go say 'hi'?" he said enthusiastically, standing up.

I stayed where I was.

"Kairi...?"

"Let me ask you something," I said out of the blue, avoiding eye contact with him, "Is it true...what I heard about you...and Janice..."

"...Yeah. It is."

**Snap. **

"And...I also heard you said you loved her."

"...Yeah. I did."

**Crash. **

"But you don't anymore, right? I mean you love me now."

"Oh Kairi..."

I felt my tension release. He was going to say "You're the only one for me" or something of that sort.

"Oh Kairi...do we really have to talk about this now?"

**BURN. **

My eyes widened, "What?!" I exclaimed, standing up, looking him straight in the eye, "Do you mean to say you still love Janice?!"

"Does it really matter, Kai?" Sora asked.

**Wrong answer. **

"I see." I replied, looking away from him, trying to contain my anger, "I guess I'll be going now."

"Now be reasonable, Kairi!" Sora said in an effort to stop me, "You know I love you too!"

"Love me** too**?!" I exclaimed. _What was his problem?!_ Does he have ANY idea how to talk to a girl?! I walked away, "I can't believe you, Sora Landon! You said you could never do anything to hurt me!"

"God, Kairi..." Sora groaned, hands entangled in his hair, "Why do you have to make this so difficult? Why—Ugh, you frustrate me ..."

I froze, tears starting to form in my eyes. "Fine. If I frustrate you so much, maybe I should just go!"

Silence passed between us for a second. Sora looked into my eyes, a hint of sadness and regret in his bright eyes. "Maybe you should."

It hit me hard.

Sora really wanted me to go.

So I did.

--

_'Cos soon you can only watch and wonder  
Where the girl you knew has **g o n e . . .**_

* * *

I stared hard at him from the harbor. This couldn't be the same Sora I knew and loved, could it? How could he be so cold? How could he be so stupid? How could he be such a pigheaded jerk?! 

No tears this time.

I was too frustrated to shed any tears.

He still stared straight at me, that sadness and regret still in his eyes. And you know what? I couldn't care less if he felt hurt or whatever the hell he felt. I just wanted to go home. But you know what? I just couldn't close myself of emotions. There was still something about him...that I loved

_Something 'bout the way you looked at me  
Made me think for a moment  
That maybe we were meant to be  
Living our lives separately  
And it's strange that things change  
But not me wanting you so desperately _

Why did things have to be this way? Why must there be a Janice? Why must Sora love both of us? Why can't love ever be easy and simple to understand...?

_Oh why can't I ignore it?  
__I keep giving in but I should know better  
__'Cause there was something 'bout the way you looked at me  
__And it's strange that things change  
__But not me wanting you so desperately _

"It doesn't have to be this way, Kai," Sora called to me, "We don't have to end like this!"

Oh, but we did.

"I can't stay, Sora," I replied, "I can't stay here just to get myself hurt all over again."

_You looked my way and said, "You frustrate me"  
Like you're thinking of lines and times  
When you and I were you and me  
We took our chance out on the street  
Then I missed my chance  
And chances are they won't be coming back to me _

"But—" Sora protested.

"Don't." I interrupted him. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."

_Why can't I ignore it?  
I keep giving in but I should know better  
'Cause there was something 'bout the way you looked at me  
And it's strange that things change  
But not me wanting you- _

We stared at each other, not quite knowing what to say to each other. This was hard. I never knew how difficult it would be to say goodbye to Sora.

"You better go."

_So desperately  
So desperately _

He nodded, and turned to leave. And you know what? I felt a piece of my heart go with him. "You know I'll always love you..."

Maybe he would. But I guess he doesn't love me enough for me to be the only one.

_Oh why can't I ignore it?  
I keep giving in but I should know better  
'Cause there was something 'bout the way you looked at me  
And it's strange that things change  
But not me wanting you so desperately _

And he left.

Not once looking back.

Not ever turning back.

And what should have felt good, breaking away from the past that was holding me back, felt horrible.

_I want you so desperately  
__I keep giving in but I should know better  
__I keep giving in but I should know better  
__So desperately  
__I want you so **d e s p e r a t e l y . . .** _

--

Five o' clock sharp.

The ship finally pulled in, and I was going to leave this island forever, and be rid of the horrid events that had come to pass.

I stepped onto the vessel, it departing almost immediately. The wind swept through my hair, sending chills up and down my spine. There was no one to wrap a blanket around me, like on our last night home. I sighed.

Old memories were painful.

"Kairi!"

The sudden outcall of my name woke me from my daze. Riku! I had completely forgotten about him!

I leaned over the railings.

"I'm sorry Riku!" I cried out, waving goodbye, "I'm going home now!"

"Wait Kairi!" he urged me to stop, "It's Sora!"

My eyes widened at the mention of his name.

"He's in critical condition! You have to come back!"


	22. It's You

**It's You  
**_chapter twenty-two  
-_-

_There's always something  
In the way  
There's always something  
Getting through  
But it's not me _

_It's you, it's you_

_Sometimes ignorance  
Rings true  
But hope is not in  
What I know  
It's not in me  
It's in you, it's in you _

It's all I know  
It's all I know  
It's all I know

-

"It's Sora! He's in critical condition! You have to come back!"

_Sora!_

My heartbeat raced.

_Critical condition? _

No, it was all a lie. It was all a stupid lie for me to get all worked up about him, and keep the two of us on better terms.

I just saw him! It's impossible for him to be hurt!

It was all some sort of sick prank.

But I looked into Riku's eyes, and there was no humor, no amusement in there. "Oh my god..." I muttered, looking around frantically for some way off this boat! "Stop this ship!" I cried out to no one in particular, and in return, no one heard me, as I was the only passenger, and the captain was buried away somewhere deeper in the ship. It would take far too long if I tried to find him!

I looked over the railing, my gaze in the rushing ice cold saltwater, fear in my eyes. I never was one to swim; not after practically drowning when Sora and Riku had teamed up on me, and dunked me into the sea one day years ago. I had never cared for swimming since.

I looked up, my gaze meeting Riku's. I could see his hope fading as he grew smaller and smaller with each passing second. I could hear the sound of a breathless girl panting echo throughout my head as I leaned over the railings, farther and farther...until I could feel myself falling.

My stomach flipped inside out, and I felt like my heart was flying away, as I dived into the deep cerulean.

And then I hit the sea, in a perfect diving form.

I broke out to the surface, gasping for air, the current strong. I looked back to the ship, sailing away at full speed. There was no turning back now. How was I supposed to get to shore? I could barely keep my face above water, and with each coming wave, the saltwater crashed against my face, filling my mouth, staining my eyes.

My eyes were pressed shut, darkness creeping in me, this vile liquid filling my lungs... I felt myself sinking...

Then, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, lifting me out of my watery grave. I choked and coughed out the seawater, my vision slowly fading back in. Aqua eyes stared back at me―Riku. His stare looked merciless, as if he was angry or something, but I knew him long enough to know just how worried he was inside.

With him carrying me in his arms, we quickly made it back to shore, where I coughed up some more of the water. "Th-thanks Riku..." I managed to say as I looked up to him, on my hands and knees, completely drenched. "There's no time for that," he muttered rashly, "Come on, let's go."

He lifted me to my feet, so easily, making me feel so light, leaving me to run after him with the little energy I had left in me. He was much faster than I had remembered, and quickly disappeared from my sight, reducing me to following his wet footprints. At the end of the trail, I found him with a cab, the passenger's seat door open widely.

"Come on, Kai," he mumbled, wrapping me with a blanket and ushering me into the vehicle, and I obeyed without a second thought. He slipped into the seat next to me, hardly closing the door before he ordered the driver, "Angita Hospital, and step on it!" And with that, the driver sped off, nearly throwing me out of my seat.

-

When.

Where.

Why.

**How.**

There were questions piling up in my mind that I wanted to ask him, but each little inquiry seemed so insignificant compared to the fact that Sora was hurt, and I needed to see him. I _had_ to see him.

_When did it happen?_

_Where did it happen?_

_Why did it happen?_

_How did it happen?_

"It wasn't even an hour after he left you," Riku began, as if he were reading my thoughts, "I met him outside of his place, I could hear Janice crying and screaming, though I couldn't quite make out the words. He had just broken up with her."

"Really.." I mused, trying my best to sound sympathetic, despite the fact I could feel my spirits lighten in the slightest. "I'm so sorry for her!"

"Sure you are." Riku remarked, giving me a not-so-friendly look, not believing my act for a second. "Well anyways, she took it quite hard, you know, and Sora just couldn't stand seeing her like that, so he left the house, where I met him. We were going to go talk, but not before Janice ran outside and shouted straight to him '_I hope you choke on your own spit and go back to the hellhole you crawled out of!'_ I could see Sora's face staring wide at her in pain and sorrow. You just know there and then his heart was shattering into a million pieces.'

I felt myself cringing a bit.

"And can you guess _why on earth_ he would break up with her?"

My eyes snapped shut, tight, Riku's sarcastic words ugly and vile.

"So we were walking down the street, Sora completely broken down," Riku continued, actually trying to make me feel horrible, "He didn't know what he was gonna do, or how things could possibly get better. All he wanted was just to get away from all of this. And you know what? He got his wish."

My gaze quickly averted to the window, where I found even less comfort, as my eyes widened in horror. Lined with the yellow CAUTION tape were police cars, and on the ground, pools of the garnet liquid.

"That's where it happened," Riku whispered into my ear, enveloping me in a nightmare I just couldn't wake up from. "Not a minute after he said that, a truck came down this street, at full speed. I managed to jump out of the way, but I guess with all that was weighing him down, he just couldn't react fast enough. I remember that look he gave me just before it happened. It was a haunting look, his eyes wide with horror, face pale with shock, screams unable to release, and it was in that haunting state that he was hit, and there _I_ was, just a few inches from him; so close, yet so helpless."

I turned to look at Riku now.

I realized, it wasn't just me enshrouded within this torment, but Riku, who had to actually watch his best friend.

My icy hands felt their way into his, where I squeezed it tight. "We'll get through this together, Riku, Sora's gonna be fine."

I don't know if Riku really believed what I was saying, hell, I didn't even believe anything I was saying! I mean, I hadn't even seen him, or the condition he was in, but really, it couldn't be that bad! That boy can be a real thorn in my side sometimes, you know. That lack-of-common-less, stubborn boy won't, no _can't_, give up. He'll make it through without much help.

Right?

-

"Sora!" I cried out, taking off in a full-out sprint through the hospital wings, ignoring the little nurse who shouted _'No running!'_ at me. To hell with her!

"This way," Riku led me through the maze, all the while dodging victims in wheelchairs and crutches.

After what seemed to be an eternity of chasing, Riku led me into a mildly crowded room, a few of doctors surrounding what I could barely make out as a body covered by a clean white sheet. "S-Sora...?" I whispered, edging closer, hands out in front, lightly lifting the sheet from his face, as if I were afraid to touch him.

He was asleep―or at least I hoped he was. His reddened face showed stains of blood, which had been mopped away, it looked.

I'd stare intently at the patient monitor every now and then. The line wove up and down, and I think my stomach followed its course. And then...the pattern of lines straightened out to form a continuous straight line. I think I died right there.

"Sora!" I cried, tears spilling fast, "Don't you dare die on me! You can't! You promised you'd come with me to the carnival, remember! You - you -"

The green line shifted a little.

I felt my tears come to a halt.

"You can hear me, I know you can!" I cried, my appearance a mess, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I got all worked up! Sora, you idiot! I lo-"

"Sora!" a voice far too familiar interrupted mine.

The figure dashed in, pushing me out of the way. She pressed her pink tinted lips hard against his, all the while crying her apologies, and that 'she didn't mean anything she said.'

My whole body stiffened.

Oh silly me.

Janice will always be number one in _his_ heart.

Gingerly, I wiped away the tears that stained my white face and straightened my posture. Without uttering another word, with my head in the air, I turned around and marched straight out the door.

_"Kairi..."_

My mind went blank.

I could've sworn I heard Sora's voice just now.

But I refused to face them, and I left the building, quick.

_After all...Sora _was_ dead..._

-

I stood on the bow of the ship, the wind pressed against my face, the chill refreshing on my hot face. Tears stung, and I refused to let myself cry for him again.

After all, it's his loss.

One day, he'll awake from that coma, and he'll beat himself up, and think to himself,

I could've had something beautiful.

-

_I find peace when  
I'm confused  
I find hope when  
I'm let down  
Not in me  
In You  
It's in you _

_I hope to lose myself  
For good  
I hope to find it in the end  
Not in me  
In You  
In You  
In You_

_It's all I know  
It's all I know  
It's all I know_

_-  
-end part one  
-_

**Author's Notes **

Ugh...time's slipped by me again, and it's been another two months between updates... You know, I started this one week after my last post, and wow, I just_ hated_ this so much, and there's really nothing I can/want to do to it now to fix it, but I _promise_ my writing will shape up by the time I start the second part of this fic!

I just want to say a BIG thank-you to the following:

aliasfan, **Blowing Kisses**, Daggerly, **Zanisha**, Araclyzm, **Aurora Australias**, luv1ny0u, **Juzlovnsora**, khfan, **Astaldotholwen**, madcow863, **Brittany**, Lady Hitokiri, **classengurl**, gssff, **zilly**, Shinimegami Sky, **Da UnDeRsIgNeD**, (yeah, we all hate you, but like Candace once said, you were still a reviewer...) Infrared Rayz, **Ohbaby;**, x3 Apolla, **Kintora**, pastel cutout, **silentchill**, NekoMiko-Kagome, **Cmdr. Defiance Nighthawk**, a girl, **Me**, Zaliassa, **darkreality11**, Xux, **Ichigo Engine**, meeeee-stir-eeee, **wishingstargirl**, kerricarri, **Mai xp**, Hikari of Hearts, **Mah**, psy001098121, **Kiba's Mate**, Lorok, **COOL!**, AeRiSdOnO, **xlilxsaxkuxra**, and YukKi.

I know how awesome a nice review can make you feel, but you have to remember this: the number of reviews you get doesn't measure how good an author you are (I know, cuz I suck! xP) Haha, but anyways, thank you guys so much! I've made so many close friends through this site and this story, and you know what, it's been a _blast_! If I still don't know you very well, feel free to drop me a line, saying 'Hi Lyphe' or "You don't suck! You're the best!' (haha, yeah right, I know xD) But really, thank you guys- hugs everyone -

Anyways, I have two new story ideas I want to try out right away. They're pretty original, I think, but I'm still debating with myself with category to submit the first one in. I think Kairi would be more in character as the main female in my idea, but Gippal would be so great as the leading guy... So I'm pretty torn. Any ideas? Suggestions?

Well anyways, happy Valentine's Day to anyone who's reading! (wow, I really should stop posting on holidays...) Wow...I should really get off my lazy ass and finish all those one-shots I started or write a Valentine's Day themed one... x3

-lyphe-


	23. Part Two: And as the Rain Fell

The skies were dark, and rain poured.

It was an everlasting sequence, and I would be smack dab in the middle of all the chaos.

I could run, but I'd never be far enough. I could try, but then I'd fail. I could fly, but then I'd fall.

And this time, there was no one to catch me.

_It was the end of the world and those who had stained it._

_  
_**"Rollercoaster"  
**_- part two -  
-  
_**And as the Rain Fell  
**_chapter twenty-three  
-  
Staring out at the rain with a heavy heart  
It's the end of the world in my mind  
Then your voice pulls me back like a wake up call  
I've been looking for the answer  
Somewhere  
I couldn't see that it was right there  
But now I know what I didn't know  
-_

It was already night in Valencia. The icy rain pounded hard on me, blending in as a mixture with the salty tears streaking down my colorless cheeks. _I was a mess. _And I felt like it too. My tangles of red escaped the sleek form I had tried to keep it in earlier. My tan bled away in the rain, and my face and hands were paled. I had tripped over myself a series of times, and my hands and knees were caked with mud. My brown hooded sweatshirt darkened in the rain into an ebony black, and flapped about wildly as I sprinted down the path, head down.

My legs were weary and worn.

Not quite sure where to go, I had been running aimlessly, losing myself in a twisted and cruel world where illusions were real, and heartbreaks plentiful. It was a bitter night.

The events that had occurred a few hours prior still flashed vividly in my mind. The three things that I couldn't bear the thought of, ironically, were the three things that came to mind instantly. _Him. Her. And the color of blood._ Lovely how things work out, isn't it.

The sweet, sweet words that Sora had spoke of...

_Bullshit. He played with my heart. _

The friendship that I had with Janice...

_A lie. She used me. _

The garnet liquid pouring out of Sora's wounds...

_Ugh, don't make me sick. _

I raised my head, poorly observing my surroundings through downed eyes. Funny. I thought I knew every nook and cranny of this place. You learn something new every day.

No longer in that full-out sprint pace I had earlier, I found myself wandering the area; my weight shifted between strides, steps heavy and awkward. My brown-black hood found its way to its place on my head, and my locks of mahogany flowed down, drenched, from behind the cloth in two streaks. I was miserable, and my appearance reflected it.

I didn't know _what_ I wanted.

I found myself standing on a marble bridge, staring lifelessly down at a pathetic girl staring back up. She looked little and helpless, small and insignificant; she looked useless and pathetic. Just like me. A small smirk escaped me. _"We're not that different..."_

Suddenly, a small scratching sound of footsteps on cement aroused me from my mild obsession with the reflection.

I turned abruptly, alerted.

There I saw another figure striding the rain, taking the road opposite of me. I _do_ wonder why I hadn't taken notice of him earlier. His damp, bronzed hair pressed close against his face, darkened attire not too diverse from my own. My sapphire hues softened. I'd know him anywhere.

"Lovely time for a night walk, isn't it?" I called out to him.

He turned, and his blues met mine. A beautiful smile spread across his face. It was warming. And it felt familiar.

"You know it."

I felt an almost shy smile form, playing upon my lips. Suddenly I didn't feel so hollow anymore.

"So what are you doing out here?" he asked, sauntering casually towards me, hands in pockets.

"Felt like crying," I admitted, mirroring his actions, "But looks like sky beat me to it."

He laughed a little to himself, looking down at his feet, then back up, his head cocked slightly to the side, his lips parted, showcasing an absolutely gorgeous, take-my-breath-away smile.

I could feel some sort of inner fire suddenly lit aglow, and I suddenly felt the urge to smile back. I returned his smile, those rain clouds hanging over my head rapidly parting.

"You're completely drenched!" he exclaimed, tugging at my zip-up sweatshirt, that grin of his still bright on that face.

"Well so are you!" I countered, all smiles now.

We laughed at each other, just like we used to when getting ready for work. Just like old times. Just..._better_, maybe.

"Thanks..." I mumbled, avoiding eye contact, a light blush painted across my face. "It's been...a really rough night, tonight. And I, well...I'm..."

"Yeah." He cut in, sensing my uneasiness, "I know."

I looked up to him, and I felt my face immediately redden. Looking at him from the corner of my eye, I could see that he had turned an unmistakably deep shade of red as well, and kept a constant stare at his feet. I relaxed a little.

"I have to go now," he sputtered, bangs hiding his eyes, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He turned and began walking away, his strides long and steps fast.

"Bright and early." I added in a whisper.

Tomorrow.

It seemed so far away!

My heart felt hollow once again, and it was then I knew what this strange feeling was, and just what I wanted.

"Brent!" I cried out, surprising myself with the worrisome tone I used.

He turned, and suddenly, I found myself at a loss for words.

"I don't suppose..." I finally stuttered, "...your _'offer'_ is still up?" I smiled shyly, an expression looking far too...hopeful for my liking plastered on my face, a dark blush rising.

Brent's uneasy look softened, until it was just a sort of sweet grin. His eyes glowed in the darkness of the night, and he strode over to me once more.

I felt my heart fly to cloud nine, and dance upon the stars.

He stood right before me, and gave me those kind of smiles that just gives you the goosebumps, that makes you want more, and never want this moment to end. I didn't need any words. I knew his answer.

"Come on," he spoke softy, taking my hand, "I'll take you home."

My hand fitted so perfectly into his, and our fingers gradually intertwined. He led me out of the rain and into the sunshine.

It was completely absurd, if you really thought about it, all the things that had occurred so far to lead up to this. Like...maybe this was all planned out, like everything was just part of some big plan for me, and everything was _destined_ to happen. Maybe I _had_ to meet Janice...and Sora and Riku and I_ had_ to go our separate ways...maybe I _had_ to meet Candace and Brent...and I _had_ to lose Sora...to show me that one who really makes me feel complete..._is Brent. _

The skies would be dark, and rain would pour, and the broken heart that I believed never to mend...

_...is starting to repair itself, **piece by piece**.  
-_

**author's note:**

oh dear lord...

The girl has finally snapped! KAIRI HAS JUST FALLEN FOR BRENT!

But hey, we all saw it coming...right...? - manages to avoid rotten tomatoes thrown -

Okay, I know this chapter was really short, but honestly, I hate having to read those impossibly long chapters that people write! When I look at how small the scrollbar thing is, my instant reaction is 'oh my gosh...' and my mouth basically drops.

But no worries, guys! The plot is still unfolding, and guess what? I'm going thirteen in a week! - dances - But hey, I've got a piano cm test tomorrow, and _argh_, I'm so nervous! I started screwing up all my songs last night! So you guys gotta wish me luck, and hope I make convention!

Oh yeah, and thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!

xxLYPHE


	24. Heavy Rain Blues

**Author's Note:** First of all, I am so sorry this took so long! (it's so short! >>;) Truth is, I've been completely stuck on this, and had absolutely _no_ idea what was going to happen in this chapter until **Astaldotholwên **asked me for a sort of…"_preview_." (haha, I bet you had no idea I threw together the scene from scratch right there!) Well, I'm going to skip some minor chapters I intended to put in here so part two would be just as long as part one, but wow, I've been writing this thing for a _year_ cheer for the one year survivor, already, and I'm just going to do the chapters with more important events. Like usual, thank-yous are in my profile!

* * *

**Heavy Rain Blues**

_chapter twenty – four_

--

Drip.

Drop.

Drip.

Drop.

_Rain fell. _

Of course rain fell; it's been raining everyday, day and night since last week when I got back to Valencia. It was depressing, really. Everything had gone wrong. And I was the idiot who triggered it all.

_Love._ It's a horrible thing to stumble across. You throw yourself out there in the running, fully knowing the consequences you may happen upon. _Confession._ Should you, or should you not tell? Choice one, you could keep it to yourself; bury it deep within your soul, never allowing anyone else to ever comprehend it. Choice two, take a chance. March straight up to them, and shatter your world with three little poisonous words, pronouncing your love. Can you possibly guess which choice I chose?

It was stupid. I was completely caught up in the moment, the excitement, the passion of finally seeing him for the first time in months. And I full-heartedly regret it.

Stupid ideas come with stupid people.

I remember the visual when I finally saw him. Sora, in all his glory. He was towering and handsome—honey tan skin, chocolate hair kissed by the sun, and the most gorgeous, most mesmerizing eyes one could ever hope to look into. It was bliss, locking eyes straight with his, the moment just freezing altogether, so that one could commit to memory, like a photograph for the soul. But then again, as one had said many times before, ignorance is bliss.

The stained-glass moment cracked before my very eyes, and was devastated into a million pieces, crushing a chunk of my heart with it.

I was the little girl, lost and alone in the rain, walking in the pitch black dark, hands outstretched forward, feeling around for someone to lead me back into the light. It was then that I found Brent.

I was happy. I found that I had regained the will to smile again, the sense of freedom and livelihood rekindled inside of me, and I felt as if I could go on forever like this with Brent beside me. Unfortunately, those feelings only lasted for that one night. It started on Monday, when I went back to school.

Brent would take put my hand into his, and intertwine our fingers, and I couldn't help but feel a shiver go up my spine. An uncomfortable, unwanted shiver. Conversations between us became awkward—well, to me at least. Maybe it's just me being paranoid.

So here I am now.

Somewhat sulking in my room, an ankle-length absolutely beautiful black dress that was far too thin for a rainy night like this, wrapped around my skinny figure; radio turned on. I gathered my crossed legs into my arms, hugging them, rocking back and forth, my face buried into them. It was a dark and gloomy atmosphere.

_From the first day, that I saw your smiling face  
Honey I knew that we would be together forever  
Ooh, when I asked you out, you said no but I found out  
Darlin that you'd been hurt  
You felt that you'd never love again _

**Groan.** Why did I even bother listening to this kind of stuff…

_I deserve a try honey just once  
Give me a chance and I'll prove this all wrong  
You walked in you were so quick to judge  
But honey he's nothing like me_

_Ill never break your heart  
I'll never make you cry  
I'd rather die  
Than live without you  
I'll give you all of me honey that's no lie  
I'll never break your heart  
I'll never make you cry  
I'd rather die  
Than live without you  
I'll give you all of me honey that' s no l—_

I flicked the _'off'_ button without a second thought, and retreated back into my previous position. Just rocking back and forth. Swimming in the misery of my mind. Yup.

The silence was driving me crazy.

"Kairi! Brent's here!"

Oh, I _did_ mention tonight was going to be our first date, didn't I?

Before going downstairs, I glanced at myself in the mirror. My auburn hair had far exceeded my waist, and clung to my dress. _"Don't cut your hair; it makes you look beautiful…"_ I glared at my image as the quote crept across my mind. Taking my scissors, I shred the long locks, leaving my hair back at my shoulders.

_Much better.

* * *

_

"You look beautiful."

Blush madly.

"Um, thanks…"

Can you tell I'm extremely uncomfortable at this moment?

Much to my surprise, the rain cloud hanging over the island had lifted quite a good bit, leaving the skies just lightly sprinkling. It was a beautiful evening. The air was sweet of lilies that adorned the restaurant. It was one of those nights in which the air was so clear, so fresh, you could breathe it in, but find yourself craving more. It was one of those nights—one of those magical nights when you just know something wonderful, something that just lifts your spirits and your heart up to cloud nine is about to happen.

Yet I couldn't soak any of it in.

"Dance with me?"

"Sure…"

He led me onto the dance floor, where all the other couples swayed in each other's arms. That artificial smile reappeared on my face again, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms just loosely coiled around my waist, but I couldn't help but very noticeably shiver as he did so. "Wow, I didn't realize how chilly it was tonight!" I'd be shocked if he bought that.

It was all just so unreal. Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have imagined I'd be out with _Brent_, my nothing-more-than-a-friend friend, and now I still can't believe it. This, everything, it just didn't seem right. Kairi and Brent. Brent and Kairi. They just…didn't _fit_. I don't know…I'm not making any sense, am I?

I felt ourselves fall into a lull; the moments were slow and slurred together, all just like a dream I couldn't quite recollect. It all seemed too..._fake._ Yes, that's what it was. _Fake. _This wasn't the sweet and 'aaw'-ing moment it appeared to be. I looked into Brent's eyes, and saw Sora. _Fake._ That's all it was. And I had to stop this before I hurt Brent…again.

"Brent, I…" I started, my steps coming to a stop, my stare hard at the ground.

"What is it?" he asked, lifting my chin so that we stared eye-to-eye. He pulled me in closer, and I could feel myself staring in horror, though unable to move. Our bodies pressed against each other's and faces so, so close. I found myself frozen, as if my will didn't matter anymore. He was in control, and he had me mesmerized under his trance.

'_No, no, no'_ I wailed in my head, as our lips barely met.

And then I think someone up there finally heard me.

It was a blessing in disguise. The restaurant went pitch black, undergoing a blackout, quite easily scaring the daylights out of me, therefore making me stumble backwards, and giving me the opportunity I had been begging for to break out of Brent's arms. Of course I _did_ hit my head pretty hard on the floor... And so partially on all fours, I found my way out of the restaurant, clutching my throbbing head all the way.

_Skies would be dark, and rain would pour, but I realized broken hearts never healed completely.

* * *

_

The light sprinkling rain had ceased, and in its place the heavy thunderstorm resumed, soaking me head to toe. It was a depressing occurrence, and what was even more depressing was the fact that it kept occurring.

My head pounded, my sight was blurry, and all I could seem to do was cry. It's funny…the whole reason I wanted to split from Sora and Riku and go my own separate way when we came to college was so I could prove I could care for myself, so I could prove I wasn't as dependant as I appeared, yet here I am now; finally all alone, and all I can manage to do is _cry_.

Ha.

'_Cry, Kairi, cry; there's no one to catch you this time,'_ the world seemed to taunt, and oh, what a cruel world it was.

I stumbled along in the rain, left hand clasping my face, unable to stop the tears, the other outstretched, my eyes of no use now. I trudged through the mud barefoot, having lost my heels long ago after the many times I had fallen. I couldn't find my way out of this maze.

_Wasn't anyone trying to find me?_

Finally, I curled into a ball, my back against a tree trunk; completely wasted. Tears littered my pale face, wind whipped against my skin, and rain shot at me like daggers. My lips were blue, due to the freezing temperature, and my body ached all over. The dress that had worn so beautifully earlier this evening was now torn and run with mud. I was lost and alone.

"_Kairi!"_

The voice rang clear through the night. My head shot up, eyes straining for the source. Forcing myself to my feet, I sauntered forward a few paces, still wildly searching. My mouth felt dry, and my voice refused to come.

"Kairi!"

The voice came again, and this time I stopped him. _Him._ My eyes filling with tears once more, I dashed towards him, falling into his arms.

I tried to speak but I just choked on my tears. My palms forced into fists and I tried hitting him, but I was acting in vain; my strength was gone.

"You idiot!" I choked, crying hard now, "I was so alone! I-I—" I had to stop to cough; I was so worn out, and finally fell into his arms, burying my face into his drenched shirt. "I've never felt so alone," I whispered, "I was so scared, Sora, so scared…"

_His relieved smile faded a little as he held her in his arms._

"You're freezing…" he mumbled as he took off his own jacket and wrapped it around me. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

_It wasn't until I got home that I realized the one walking me home…_

…_was **Brent**..._

--

_I'm Standing on a bridge  
I'm waitin in the dark  
I thought that you'd be here by now  
There's nothing but the rain  
No footsteps on the ground  
I'm listening but there's no sound_

_Isn't anyone tryin to find me?  
Won't somebody come take me home  
It's a damn cold night  
Trying to figure out this life  
Wont you take me by the hand  
take me somewhere new  
I don't know who you are  
but I... I'm with you  
_  
--

_-fin chapter 24_


	25. A Puff of Smoke

**A Puff of Smoke**

_chapter twenty – five_

--

Bringing the tip to my lips, I inhaled, and quite instantly, as the smoke filled my lungs, began choking, a wave of nausea rushing over me. Eyes watering lightly, with a shaking hand, I forced the thing back to my lips, when suddenly, quite abruptly, I might add, a second hand drew it from me.

I whisked around, looking more shocked than I would've liked. "Oh. It's _you_." It sounded harsher than I meant it to be.

"Yes Kairi, it's _me_," Brent replied, not at all his usual cheery self. We hadn't exactly been on the best terms, not since our first and probably last date just two weeks ago, if you would even call that a date. Apparently after that 'Sora – Brent' fiasco, he did a bit of digging around and found out all about our little history. I wasn't exactly thrilled with his actions. But then again, he probably wasn't exactly thrilled with mine either.

November had come and gone, and now winter crept upon Valencia. The weather had gotten considerably colder, though there was no sign of snowfall just yet. Trees were bare, except for the few browned leaves that still clung to the naked branches. UArt students no longer fashioned the light tank tops and shorts and skirts, but were bundled up in coats and scarves of many variety.

Back home, Selphie and Tidus had been struggling with putting up the pretty Christmas lights, though as I recall, they had both been caught in a tangle of wires and bulbs, and seemed in no position to decorate the rooftop. In the kitchen, on the properly seasonal adorned table was a plate of fresh, warm cinnamon cookies Selphie and I had just baked prior the day. It was the beginning of the holidays and we were gonna enjoy it.

I had managed to convince Selphie and Tidus to stay at Valencia for the holidays, though I could tell they yearned to see the others again, so Selphie ended up arranging meetings, more specifically? The Winter Carnival Professor Lanchey had been helping us arrange for months. It would be held on Christmas Eve, and would certainly draw many students to its splendor. Candice had gone back to her home island to spend her holidays with family and old familiar faces, and Brent? Well, apparently he decided to stay too.

And me? Well here I am, on the bridge overlooking the village, smoking – or _was_ smoking my first cigarette. Hey, no one ever said life was all sugar and sweets.

"What do you want?"

"My, that wasn't cold at all."

"It was intentional."

"Do you speak like this to all your boyfriends?"

"You know very well you're my first."

All our conversations had become like this. Actually I found it quite amusing he hadn't dumped me yet. What I found more amusing was that _I_ hadn't dumped _him_ yet. It was now completely obvious I didn't enjoy, or appreciate, on that matter, his company. Candice, on the other hand, I hadn't had the opportunity to converse with yet, but I don't doubt squealing Brent hadn't informed her of so.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?" I replied, irritated, as I lit a second cigarette and brought it to my lips, which Brent retrieved like he did the first, and crushed it with his foot.

"Since when do you smoke?"

"Since now."

"I've never seen any place on this island to sell those. Where did you get that pack?"

"Some shady place in the alley behind the bookstore."

"You should really stop."

"Oh, you'd like that now, wouldn't you."

"Yes, yes I would."

_Ugh. _Couldn't he take a hint! _Go away, now will you!_ I felt myself scream inside my mind, though remaining quite level-headed, and surprisingly calm on the outside. How did he even find me in the first place? Other questions rose inside me, and gathering my thoughts, I decided it was time for _me_ to ask the questions.

"Why are you here?"

"Hm?"

"Why. Are. You. Here." I repeated, a little more impatient this time.

"Selphie told me where I'd find you." He answered calmly, "She's been worried about you. We've all been worried about you."

"Oh really now. Can't you see that I'm fine?"

"But you're _not_ fine, Kairi!" Brent said so loudly, pounding his fist hard into the cement bridge, that it made me jump. "Can't you see what you're becoming!"

"I am not becoming anything," I replied, equal in volume, my hands shaking slightly at my sides.

"Well open your eyes! You've changed!"

"For better or for worse?" I asked simply, leaning across the bridge, toying with the strands of auburn hair that hung limply below my chin, knowing very well it was a stupid question.

"For worse." He responded, his voice now in a hush. "Don't you realize how you're acting towards us? Shunning us away, smoking (_That's not all I've been doing_, I thought to myself, thinking of the packs of pills hidden in my drawers) … This has to stop!"

I straightened, throwing the longer strands over my shoulder. "How I act…" I spoke slowly, "…is my own choice, and definitely none of your business."

"Oh really." It was a statement. He turned to face me, "I'm sure you'd have no problems with these requests if your darling _Sora_ had asked you."

**Oh he did _not_--**

I turned to face him, meeting his eyes for the first time since we met today, the vacant look on my face replaced by a glare. "Go away."

"You know it's true, Kairi," He continued darkly, his expression matching my own. "You'd be so enthusiastic under his commands, hell I bet you'd rollover if he asked you t—"

I slapped him. _Hard._

Slowly he turned his head back to its previous position, my handprint planted firmly against his cheek, his shock apparent.

"Go. Away." I whispered, slowly, but clearly.

Then after what felt like an hour of unbreakable eye contact, he turned and left without so much as another word, his pace even, arms hanging limply at his sides as if nothing had happened.

I felt overwhelmed, the aftershock was harsh. My whole body shook lightly as I once again leaned over the bridge, just staring downwards. It wasn't true. None of it. Sora was nothing to me, and I _definitely_ would _not_ rollover for him.

_He had it coming to him_, I thought angrily, thoughts focused on Brent once more. The events flashed before my eyes once more. He had no right to _accuse_ me of such…such hideous things! And demanding me to stop…? Stop what exactly! Just what exactly is so wrong with me wanting some space, or smoking on that matter! I know for a fact plenty of others do too!

Glaring off into the setting sun for a few more minutes before fumbling with my pockets for a last cigarette I had with me, I felt more burdened than ever.

Lighting it, I brought it to my lips a third time, this time with no one to abruptly take it and crush it. It didn't give off the wonderful sensation that I would've thought it'd have. I thought of Brent once more.

_How I screw up my life is my own damn business... _

Dropping the venomous thing to the ground and taking care to crush it, I headed on home.

_- chapter twenty-five fin -_


	26. Fool's Mate

**Fool's Mate**

_chapter twenty – six_

--

I'll be white, you be black. ♥

--

Hand to face.

_Slap_.

Words to ear.

_Scream_.

My life was just one big chess game.

And just how could this be possible? I'd never cared for chess much. Hell, I'd never cared for any board game much. It was superfluous pain, exchanging time and dedication to learn the nuts and bolts of such a thing, only to find insufficiency at the heart of the clockwork. And thus was a good ten dollars or so wasted. Hardly a bargain, if you ask me. Instruction booklets? Hah. Instruction booklets are for lunatics. Why waste good time reading the tiresome and monotone text? Despite popular belief, I've always preferred to be a bit more reckless, you know, live life on the wild side.

Ha.

As if.

So I gave up smoking. What can I say? Guess all those redundant health lectures from eighth grade finally kicked in. Not like I'd ever tell Brent; if the tobacco didn't kill me first, the smug look on that bastard's face just might. Which brings me back to the question, _why_, exactly, did I agree to be his girlfriend again? Well. That really doesn't matter now, does it.

We broke up.

Or better yet, _he_ broke up with _me_.

Talk about a short lived relationship.

_White; pawn to f3._

But hey, it doesn't matter, right?

It had all been one silly, impulsive, _naïve_ relationship experience all humans were destined to experience during the span of their lifetime, at one point or another. And that's why the thought of having Brent as my boyfriend seemed so brilliant at the time. It was my silly, impulsive, naïve _human_ persona – destiny! – and frankly, there was absolutely nothing I could do to oppose it.

That, of course, is a great load of bull, and ignorance is indeed bliss.

_Black; pawn to e5._

The truth of the matter? I wanted Brent to be my new Sora, one perhaps more perfect than the actual (though heaven knows the idea of another boy more perfect than darling imperfect Sora is utterly ridiculous) in the sense that he would be mine, and profusely devoted to me alone. But oh, my actions were so cliché and apparent, and to such an extent that even a fervently ignorant girl such as myself could decipher the truer motives.

But enough psychology.

The salty residue of regret lingered in the back of my throat and thoroughly sickened me, and I, captivated by my own spur of the moment wanderlust and a sudden necessity to _breathe_, threw open the front door and found my legs walking me down the street in long irregular strides. And of course I complied. I was half dazed, half delusional, but fully alive, damn it.

_White; pawn to g4._

But I still couldn't _breathe_. Not even the counterattack of restorative salty sea breeze against abhorrent salty regret could completely take away the sinking sensation of nausea, and a new wave of self-loathe refreshed me, along with disgust at my dependency. Because I wasn't dependent. Hell, I'd been on my own since I was seven, I'd been alone _without_ my two best friends for two years, and I'll be damned if I start acting dependent now.

My legs lingered to a halt, and I found myself at the corner of the street; a red stoplight glared into my eyes and toyed with my senses. And I think, _I think_, it was in that moment that I felt a drop of impulse enter my bloodstream. Because don't you know? _I can fly_.

_**Black; queen to h4.**_

I'd brought it upon myself.

The fiery lights left their post and waltzed before my eyes – laughing – in a slurred dance, and my heart skipped a beat as the thrill of falling consumed me and filled my nostrils.

Why hadn't I seen it? _I'd brought it upon myself._

_**Black; queen to h4.**_

And then I hit the ground with a thundering yet angelically graceful thud that vibrated throughout the islands for miles on end.

And suddenly, I could hear myself breathe long slow breaths, loudly.

I was half dazed, half delusional, and now, I was only half alive.

And suddenly, the equation didn't add up.

**Fool's mate.**

_- fin chapter 26  
_

* * *

**Author's Note**: Omgbbq, it's been, like, two years since I last updated! (The site looks so different! Almost every writer I knew is dead!) How lame is that. D: I think I was reading **january blue**'s mirror, mirror when my muse returned to me in a flash. And I thought of my long-procrastinated fanfic, and made up my mind I'd finish it. Or the next chapter, at least. 

And so, a recap for anyone who reads this silly story and cares: Kairi loves Sora. Sora loves Kairi. They're both too thickheaded to admit that to each other, and so they go their seperate ways and head off to college. And then one day, Kairi finally snaps out of it and talks to Sora, but by then, Sora's already moved on (or is trying to). And so, Kairi's all weepy and heartbroken-like. So then, Riku becomes the hero and makes Kairi go see Sora. So they talk. But they fight. And Kairi leaves again (or starts to). And then Sora gets hit my a car and goes into a coma. And then Kairi's sad, but then she sees Sora's new girlfriend kiss him and becomes _sadder_, and so she leaves. For real. And then she goes out with one of her friends, but then calls him Sora by accident, and it all just goes downhill from there.

And now she gets hit by a car. Or a bus. Man, Kairi's life sucks. 8D

For anyone who was confused, **fool's mate** is the quickest possible checkmate in chess, which takes a total of two moves. Because it only takes two moves, it's almost never put into practice, as it requires precise movements from both players, and so, that is why Kairi says she'd brought it upon herself (although much of her internal thoughts refer to both the chess game and what's going on around her). The entire "chess game" is internal – and a sort of reflection – and regards the decisions Kairi has already made, but as we see, this internal game also affects the decisions Kairi makes afterwards.

And I just realized yesterday that my ffnet three year anniversary is in three days! So I might try to write a one shot or something to celebrate the fact that, well, I've only been active for approximately one out of the three years. 8D

Oh, and I decided that length shouldn't matter, and anything I write from here on out will be relatively short. Have a nice day. ♥

- lyphe


End file.
